The Manila Bulletin reported that the series of raids spanned 13 different locations in Parañaque and Mataki in the Metro Manila region of the Philippines.
It is reported that 632 finished and 1,172 unfinished inkjets were seized, along with 50 finished and 121 unfinished toners. Other seized items included 2,000 ink security labels, 1,515 counterfeit ink boxes, and 6 filling machines.
Thousands of spare parts and 45 kg of bulk toner powder were also recovered in the raid.
Seized business records are said to indicate that 1,500 toners and 4,000 inkjets were being produced and distributed in the Metro Manila region and surrounding area every month.
Jeff Kwasny, Director of HP Brand Protection for Print Cartridges, told MB: “We salute the PNP and the Southeast Asia Anti-Counterfeiting group for spearheading the crackdown of these illegal businesses.
“We warn consumers about the proliferation of fake HP inks and toners in the market. These imitations may cause your printers to fail and yield inferior print outs.”
In May, HP assisted in raids in India that lead to 12,000 fakes being seized, while earlier this month Abu Dhabi Police recovered more than 2,000 fake toners in the United Arab Emirates.
The upcoming September issue of The Recycler magazine features a special focus on counterfeiting, including how to spot fakes, and exclusive interviews with HP and the Imaging Supplies Coalition.