P8.37 billion smuggled goods seized in first half of 2022
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) under Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, initiated 293 seizures of smuggled goods for the first half of 2022 worth P8.37 billion, thru the combined effort of the Enforcement Group (EG) and the Intelligence Group (IG).
Based on official data, the ‘Top 3’ of the most smuggled items involved counterfeit/fake consumer goods worth P5.23 billion; illegal drugs valued at P1.67 billion’ and, ‘general merchandize’ (GM) valued at P338.80 million.
On the other hand, smuggled agricultural products worth more than P284 million were also seized for the same period, the latest of which involved the foiled smuggling attempt of P15 million worth of red and white onions and carrots from China at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, last July 7, 2022.
Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence (DCI) Raniel Ramiro, in an updated report to Guerrero on the incident, identified the consignee as ‘Primex Export and Import Producer’ who tried to misled customs authorities by declaring the shipment as “autolysed yeast in powder form.”
The BOC also posted an impressive ‘hit rate’ of 76 percent in the ‘LOAs’ (Letter of Authority) signed by Guerrero, with 44 out of 58 LOAs yielding positive result.
The LOA is a special power of the customs commissioner granting visitorial and police powers to customs personnel during their visit to business facilities, particularly warehouses, to check on the presence of smuggled goods and confiscate them on the spot.
On the other hand, 73 percent or 57 out of the 78 ‘AOs’ (alert order) against suspected shipments issued for the same period also yielded positive result.
Last year, 2021, the government thru the BOC, made its highest record of smuggled goods confiscated in terms of value after chalking P21.65 billion worth of seized goods (see also Pinoy Exposé, June 13, 2022).
The figure is more than double the P9.5 billion worth of smuggled goods the BOC confiscated in 2020 (see also Pinoy Exposé, January 11, 2021).
Shabu claimant arrested; P17.250 million shabu seized
At the Port of Clark, combined elements from the BOC and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), announced the arrest in Pasay City of a claimant of 2.5 kilos of shabu with a street value of P17.250 million in another successful ‘controlled delivery operation.’
Unknown to the yet-to-be named claimant, the shipment, declared as ‘food, non-perishable chocolates, candy and coffee’ and which arrived last July 5, 2022 from Rockville, Maryland, USA, had already undergone non-intrusive examination at the port.
After confirming the presence of the illegal drugs wrapped in 3 vacuum-sealed plastics, the authorities then allowed the shipment to be delivered to the suspect who was immediately arrested after taking custody of the package.
Subic seizes P131 million smuggled cigarettes
Meanwhile, Port of Subic district collector, Maritess Martin on July 4, 2022, reported to Guerrero the confiscation of 3,160 master cases of smuggled cigarettes worth more than P131 million.
Martin said they become suspicious of the shipment consigned to ‘Russhi Knish Consumer and Proline Logistics,’ based on the result of their “intensive profiling” of shipments with similar declarations.
Martin said she immediately issued a ‘PLCO’ (Pre-Lodgment Control Order) to allow for the 100-percent examination of the shipment that yielded positive result.
She added the cigarette brands they found are not included in the official list of registered importers of cigarette brands provided to the BOC by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
