THE Intelligence Group (IG) of the Bureau of Customs foiled a “brazen” smuggling attempt of imported cigarettes from China worth nearly P187 million at the Manila International Container Port.
Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence (DCI) Rainier Ramiro, in a talk with Pinoy Exposé, identified, the consignee as ‘Rhyanne Consumer Goods Trading’ and the customs broker as Annaly Ladeza Almadin.
“The smuggling attempt was so brazen; the perpetrators did not even bother to put a ‘layer’ of their declared shipment at the front of the container.
“Pagbukas namin, sigarilyo na agad ang ‘bumulaga’ sa amin,” the official said, referring to the apprehension last July 24, 2020.
The consignee, thru Almadin, claimed the shipment consisted of “towels, school bags, bed sheets, non-woven bags and fabrics.”
However, upon opening of the containers, Ramiro said they were confronted with cartons of ‘Two Moon’ and ‘D&B’ cigarette brands totaling 6,249 master cases.
Both the owner of Rhyanne Consumer Goods and Almadin are now facing smuggling charges and for violation of related laws of the National Tobacco Administration and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Ramiro said.
BOC records show that the latest seizure brought to P422.6 million, the amount of fake and imported cigarettes it has seized for the month of July.
At the Port of Manila (POM), District Collector Michael Angelo Vargas and, Assistant Commissioner Atty. Vincent ‘Jett’ Maronilla, presented last July 29, 2020, two separate shipments of carrots cigarettes, auto parts and used clothing worth more than P3.4 million.
The cargoes were loaded on 2×20 containers from China consigned to ‘Real Mart’ and ‘Bayford Marketing’ with their respective customs brokers identified as Lara Michelle Dizon and Brix Evale.
Vargas, who just assumed the post of POM district collector, said he immediately placed the shipments on alert subject to 100 percent inspection after receiving derogatory information from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), a unit under Ramiro’s office.
Real Mart claimed it imported ‘frozen chimei pastry bun;’ the shipment was found to actually contain carrots worth some P1.4 million.
On the other hand, the shipment of Bayford Marketing was declared as knapsack bags, tissues, wearing apparel, auto parts and hand tools, but was found to include imported cigarettes, portable welding machines, resin, used clothing (ukay ukay) and other commodities worth more than P2 million.
Maronilla, also the BOC spokesman, said that aside from the immediate revocation of the suspects’ customs accreditation, charges of smuggling (misdeclaration) under Section 1400 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) against the group are being readied before the Department of Justice (DOJ) thru the bureau’s ‘Action Team Against Smugglers’ (BATAS) under deputy commissioner for revenue collection (RCMG) Atty. Vener Baquiran.
An additional case for ‘economic sabotage’ under RA 10845 or the ‘Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016’ is also to be filed against Real Mart.
Under Section 3 of RA 10845, the smuggling of agricultural products including carrots worth more than P1 million is considered ‘economic sabotage’ with a penalty of life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the NAIA collection district last July 30, 20202, announced the discovery of some 640 grams of “shabu” valued at P4.5 million from a parcel of toys and chocolates sent from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
The name of the recipient, a resident in Hagonoy, Bulacan, was not released pending the result of an investigation, said District Collector Carmelita ‘Mimel’ Talusan.