Customs’ Chief warning rattles Discayas; returns missing vehicles

CLEARLY rattled by the warning of Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno for the Discaya couple to surface their 10 remaining luxury vehicles covered by a court-approved search warrant, the BOC late on September 2 announced taking possession of them.

“Following this morning’s court-ordered search operation at the headquarters of St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corp. in Pasig City, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported further developments on the luxury vehicles linked to the Discaya family,” the BOC said in a statement.

“The remaining ten vehicles were initially unaccounted for, prompting Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno to forewarn the Discaya family that the BOC will ensure all vehicles are located without delay,” the BOC said.

Comm. Nepomuceno also warned that “those hiding or abetting the concealment of these cars will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

By evening, the BOC confirmed that seven of the remaining vehicles have been surrendered to the BOC and are now secured at St. Gerrard’s compound in Pasig City.

These include Rolls Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Mercedes Benz G-500, Mercedes AMG G 63 AMG, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Sequoia, and Cadillac Escalade.

The Commissioner added that the last 3 vehicles — a GMC Yukon Denali and 2 Lincoln Navigator — are currently in authorized service centers for repair and will subsequently be surrendered to the BOC.

All subject vehicles have been formally sealed by Customs and are under round-the-clock guard by personnel of the BOC and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

With all twelve luxury vehicles now accounted for, the BOC said it can now start verifying their importation records to determine compliance with customs laws.