The Philippine National Police (PNP) aren’t going easy on bootleg sneakers, especially not pairs made to look like their own special shoes.
Authorities seized 100 pairs of fakes shoes that were made to look like sneakers exclusively sold to members of the PNP. The kicks were found in the possession of three suspects in an entrapment operation in Quezon City yesterday.
The suspects, who were arrested, were identified by the Philippine Daily Inquirer as Mark Corporal, 33; Lorenzo Celestial, 35 and Rail Ramirez, 25.
The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) set the operation along Scout Gandia St., corner 11th Jamboree St. in Barangay (Village) Kamuning, the Philippine Star reported. The operation stemmed from a complaint of the JP Group of Companies Inc., one of three firms that are authorized to manufacture sneakers for the PNP, the report added.
The CIDG seized PHP170,000 (US$3,250.22) worth of fake rubber shoes from the operation.
The original pairs are only supposed to be sold by official manufacturers to members of the police force, Manila Bulletin wrote. The original sneakers are part of the uniform prescribed by the PNP and the National Police Commission for officers, ABS-CBN News reported.
The counterfeit pairs were being sold at PHP1,700 (US$32.52), whereas the original is sold at PHP2,000 (US$38.24).
Like other fake shoes, there are some details that differentiated the original from the imitation.
The fake rubber shoes have its “PNP” label glued to the tongue of the shoes, while the originals have the label stitched. The rubber soles of the knock-offs were also slippery.
Meanwhile, the suspects said that they only delivered the fake shoes and were not the ones who produced them, ABS-CBN News reported.
They will be charged with violation of the Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.
