Customs cracks down on technical smugglers

Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Customs cracks down on technical smugglers
Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla says they are not apologizing for their intensified efforts in seizing smuggled goods entering the country

MANILA, Philippines – Eight out of 10 shipments placed under the Bureau of Customs (BOC) alert order have been found to be misdeclared or undervalued, the agency said on Friday, October 17.

But in perspective, over 90% of about 80,000 container vans arriving in the country monthly have no problems. “Only a minority of importers and brokers are not complying with the laws,” said Customs Commissioner John P. Sevilla.

“We will not apologize for doing our job,” Sevilla said.

Over the week, the bureau’s enforcement and intelligence groups seized several shipment found to be technically smuggled. Technical smuggling is an act of fraudulently, falsifying or erroneously declaring imported goods entering a country. Outright smuggling is bringing in goods without complete government importation documents.

Among those seized is an estimated P1 million ($22,286.59)* worth of illegally imported ukay-ukay (second hand) items and garlic that arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) in August.

The ukay-ukay, consigned to a Sparta Biotekhnological Solutions, included 342 boxes of used clothes, shoes, toys, and office supplies like calculators that were misdeclared as door window frames.

Two 40-foot container vans of garlic consigned to Ocean Eighteen Enterprises were also seized for lack of the required import permit and phytosanitary clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry.

BOC also seized at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in Tagolon, Misamis Oriental over 30 container vans loaded with various items, ranging from agricultural products like rice and garlic to “chop-chop” (cannibalized) vehicles to television sets and computer parts, all with an estimated value of P40 million ($891,364.91). The contents were all misdeclared.

Some of the seized shipment included 10,800 bags of Thai white rice; 705 brand new sheet piles; two units of brand new Toyota Land Cruiser sports utility vehicles; 6,000 units of used television sets of late models and old computer parts; cooking oil; porcelain jars of various sizes; over 500 packages of used clothing, bed sheets, and handbags; used tires and wheel rims of various sizes; and 27 units of “chop-chop” vehicles (Honda Fit, Suzuki Multi-Cab, among others).

The cargos that arrived in the country from December 2013 to September 2014 are consigned to the following: ERS Surplus Ventures, Daebak Wholesale Corporation, Esther David Trading, Gwear Jam Imports Trading, GNA Eximport Trading, Squareview Trading Corporation, Greener Pasture Marketing, TSJ CDO Corporation, Psalms Eight Trading, Malingas Multipurpose Cooperative, Algaba Trading, and Mamsar Construction and Industrial Corporation.

BOC issued the warrants of seizure and detention against these smuggled shipment for violating Section 2503 (Undervaluation, Misclassification and Misdeclaration in Entry) of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines.

All the seized items will be subjected to forfeiture proceedings in favor of the government.

Follow-up operations are now ongoing to identify and file cases against responsible importers and traders of those smuggled shipment. – Rappler.com 

 

($1 = P44.88)

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!