THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) remains unrelenting in its campaign to teach smugglers a lesson they would not forget, filing a total of 79 smuggling cases in the first 6 months of the year or an average of 13.1 cases filed each month.
In a report to Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, deputy commissioner for revenue collection and monitoring (RCMG) Atty. Vener Baquiran, said the cases filed by the bureau’s ‘Action Team Against Smugglers’ (BATAS) cover not only the consignees but also, the customs brokers who colluded with them in the foiled smuggling attempts. A seasoned lawyer with expertise on customs matters, Baquiran oversees the operation of BATAS.
In an earlier talk with Pinoy Exposé, Baquiran also bared that last year, they have filed 127 smuggling cases against suspected smugglers and their cohorts in the customs brokerage sector (see Pinoy Exposé Issue No. 2— ‘BOC pursuing 127 active cases against smugglers’).
For the latest cases, named respondents are a total of 167 individuals of whom 47 criminal cases were filed before the Department of Justice against the registered owners of the apprehended companies. Separate administrative cases were also filed against the involved customs brokers before the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for the suspension or cancellation of their brokers’ license.
as provided for by rules and regulations regulating the cross-border transfer of local and foreign currencies issued by the Philippine Central Bank (BSP). The BOC said that from 2020 to date, it has confiscated smuggled currencies totalling over P33 million (photo credit: BOC-PIAD).
Data from BATAS also show that these cases involved the unlawful importation of cigarettes valued at P622 million, followed by general merchandise amounting to almost P369 million; agricultural products valued at some P158.5 million; medicines, P47.2 million; and, other commodities, P27 million.
Record seizure of smuggled currencies
In a separate statement, the BOC said it has thus far confiscated local and foreign currencies and other monetary instruments totaling over P33 million as it also remains vigilant in preventing currency smuggling, especially at the country’s premier port, the Port of NAIA.
Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group (IG), Raniel Ramiro, in a report to Guerrero, that the actual amount is P33,128,870.00, as of July 14, 2021.
The seized currencies originated from Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan; from the United States, the illegal cash came in from North Carolina, New Jersey, Tennessee, Colorado, and California.
Prior to discovery, the items were stored in pieces of baggage brought by passengers or sent before or after their arrival, while for parcel shipments, the items were described and misdeclared as ‘personal documents,’ ‘correspondence,’ ‘magazines,’ and ‘books,’ Ramiro noted further.
The BOC had repeatedly reminded the public to not attempt to smuggle in, or smuggle out, Philippine money or other foreign currencies and strictly follow the rules on the cross-border transfer of local and foreign currencies, based on the guidelines released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or ‘BSP’ (see Pinoy Exposé post on its website last July 10, 2021).