‘Admin change’ won’t slow down BOC anti-smuggling drive

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC), under the firm leadership of Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, is not showing any sign of slowing down on its anti-smuggling campaign despite being just days away of a change in administration and in its leadership.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) director, Jeoffrey Tacio, in a report to Guerrero and Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence (DCI) Raniel Ramiro, said that on June 9, a team from the CIIS, Port of Clark, Port of Manila, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), implemented the ‘LOA’ (Letter of Authority) approved by Guerrero in the inspection of a warehouse in San Simon, Pampanga, resulting to the seizure of fake consumer goods valued at more than P129 million.

The bogus products, consisting of fake brands of Louis Vuitton, Paul Frank, Adidas, Hello Kitty, Spider Man, among others, were found at the warehouse located at the Golden Sun 999 Industrial Park, Dela Paz, San Simon, Pampanga. Assorted products such as various dishwashing liquid and Tiger Motorcycle Lubricant, to name a few, were also found at the site.

At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), district collector Carmelita ‘Mimel’ Talusan, also informed Guerrero that another attempt to smuggle 198 various species of live ‘Tarantulas’ hidden in ‘Thermos’ mugs were seized on June 7, 2022, before they can be shipped out to an address in Italy by a sender from Pasay City, whose identity was not disclosed in Talusan’s report.

The seized tarantulas were immediately turned over to the Wildlife Enforcement Officer from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for proper handling and monitoring pursuant to Customs Administrative Order No. 10-2020.

The Port of NAIA, under Collector Talusan, has been the recipient of several commendations from the Southeast Asia ‘TRAFFIC’ for its unceasing effort in intercepting illegal wildlife trade.

“Our heartfelt congratulations to BOC-NAIA’s successful wildlife seizures, which prevented the trafficking of endemic and exotic species,” said Kanitha Krishnasamy, Director of Southeast Asia TRAFFIC, in her recent letter to Talusan.

Talusan also reported that the NAIA, on June 6, 2022, conducted condemnation proceeding on various abandoned and forfeited goods with an estimated value of more than P4.6 million.

The goods condemned consist of various goods such as expired and unregistered food items, used UV lamps, prohibited Chinese medicines, and 60 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes with an estimated market value of P3.9 million.

All goods underwent condemnation through pyrolysis under the supervision of BOC-NAIA’s Auction and Cargo Disposal Division, Talusan added.

On the same date, June 6, 2022, the Port of Limay confirmed successful implementation of another LOA issued by Guerrero that resulted to the seizure of 487 master cases of smuggled cigarettes with an estimated value of P10 million in Bgy. San Vicente, Orion, Bataan.

The operation conducted jointly with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), stemmed from the derogatory information received by the Port that alleged smuggled cigarettes are being openly sold in the area.

PDEA recognizes BOC success in fight versus illegal drugs smuggling

Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) heaped recognition to the BOC on the agency’s campaign against the illegal drugs trade.

The recognition was conferred by PDEA director general Wilkins Villanueva during the latter’s 20^th anniversary last June 3, 2022.

Receiving the award on behalf of the BOC is Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force (CAIDTF) Executive Officer SP/Maj. Ernesto T. Pracale, Jr.

The BOC has been an active partner of the PDEA in the government’s crusade against illegal drugs. The two (2) agencies have been working together in implementing anti-illegal drug strategies to combat smuggling and proliferation of dangerous substances in the country.

Since the start of the Duterte administration in 2016, the BOC, jointly with the PDEA, has seized P17 billion worth of illegal drugs from various Ports, including the Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Port of Clark, Port of Manila, and Manila International Container Port.

For 2022 alone, the Bureau recorded a total of 46 drug seizures with an estimated value of P1.6 billion and the arrest of several suspects during the conduct of ‘controlled delivery operations.’

The PDEA award recognizing the BOC’s commitment to the government’s anti-smuggling campaign was the second it has received this month of June.

Last June 6. 2022, during the 25^th anniversary of ‘IPOPhils’ (Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines), DCI Ramiro personally received the recognition over the BOC’s apprehension of fake consumer goods and other products in 2021 valued at more than P21.65 billion, the highest thus far in the agency’s history and the government’s anti-smuggling campaign targeting fake consumer items.