A JOINT Customs and Philippine National Police (PNP) inspection team swooped down on a warehouse in Valenzuela City on April 14 and decided to lock the place up after discovering an assortment of suspected smuggled goods from China worth more than of ₱174.8 million.
In a statement later, Assistant Commissioner Atty. Vincent Philip C. Maronilla, who led the inspection along with Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement Nolasco Bathan, said they stumbled on various illegal goods inside the warehouse consisting of vape-related products, machinery, electronic devices, and pharmaceutical products, among others.
Acting on verified information earlier received by the Commissioner’s Office, the BOC, through the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) in coordination with partner units, implemented the ‘LOA’ (letter of authority) signed by Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno on the same day of the inspection.
Also present during the media presentation are CIIS Director Thomas Narcise, Customs Police (ESS) Director Noel Estanislao and Manila International Container Port (MICP) District Collector Atty. Felipe Geoffrey de Vera.
The initial assessment placed the value of the suspected smuggled goods at ₱174,863,576.94.
The items, all believed to have originated from China, lacked the necessary importation permits, and include suspected intellectual property rights (IPR)-infringing products, the BOC said.
Maronilla underscored the substantial volume and diverse nature of the seized items, stressing that such unregulated goods have no place in the domestic market and must be strictly accounted for under existing customs laws and regulations.
He added the operation was carried out in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to intensify the monitoring of illicit trade.
Also assisting the operating team are units from the Customs Police and the Philippine Coast Guard.