AS the holiday season continues to draw near, the Bureau of Customs continue to send smugglers reeling from its sustained anti-smuggling drive that resulted to confiscation of more than P46 million worth of assorted smuggled goods, including illegal drugs, in the first week of November alone.
In a statement last November 1, 2021, the Port of Cagayan de Oro said it had foiled the attempted smuggling of misdeclared red onions loaded into 3X40-footer vans brought in by ‘Hao International Trading’ at the Mindanao International Container Terminal valued at P6 million.
The shipment, which arrived on October 15, 2021, was misdeclared by the consignee as consisting of ‘frozen malt’ and ‘wanton skin’ from China and was subjected to actual physical inspection based on ‘derogatory information’ last October 29, 2021.
This was followed by another huge shipment of red onions at the same port loaded into 18X40 containers brought in by ‘R2H Trading.’
Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence (DCI) Raniel Ramiro, in a message to Pinoy Exposé, said unknown to the consignee, he had already directed the CDO Intelligence Field Office as early as November 4, 2021, that the shipment, which arrived on board the ‘M/V Nordmaas’ a day before, should be subjected to close inspection after receiving derogatory information as to its actual content.
Ramiro said the initial physical inspection of the first 7X40 containers on November 8, 2021, confirmed they contained red onions, contrary to its customs declaration claiming they contained assorted food products such as ‘acidified cream,’ ‘smoked rock lobster,’ curdled cream milk’ and, ‘bread improver.’
The value of this latest seizure was placed at P50 million.
At the Port of Manila (POM), the Enforcement and Security Service (ESS/Customs Police) reported on November 2, 2021, the confiscation of P3.9 million worth of smuggled jet skis and motorcycles loaded inside a 40-footer van.
The apprehended units and other items which arrived at the South Harbor on October 3, 2021, from Japan were consigned to Fastside Consumer Goods Trading.
Based on the initial report, the consignee declared the shipment as electric motors, e-bikes, sofa, and cabinet.
Upon the request of the ESS, the container was physically examined and yielded misdeclaration of goods as approximately 45 units of various used motorcycles and bicycles, used and brand-new rims, two units of jetskis, and other assorted household effects were found.
At the Port of Legazpi, combined units from the BOC and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), apprehended also last November 1, 2021, 449 bundles of used clothing (“ukay-ukay”) valued at P5.1 million.
Based on the sales invoice found by the ‘Customs Border Protection Team’ (CBPT) from the ‘wing-van’ driver, the illegal clothing came from a warehouse in Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City for transportation to Davao City thru the Port of Matnog in Sorsogon.
At the Port of Clark last November 3, 2021, district collector Alexandra Lumontad reported to Guerrero the confiscation of some 9,917 pieces of the party drug, ‘Ecstasy,’ worth more than P16.9 million.
Lumontad said members of the Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF) and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) found the illegal drugs hidden inside a shipment of “Bed Sheets, Lady Bag, Watch, Shoes, Cloth” shipped from Brussels, Belgium.
Lumontad added that a ‘controlled delivery operation’ resulted to the arrest of the recipient in Bgy. Tatalon, Quezon City. The arrested drug suspect, however, was not named.
At the Port of Davao, district collector Atty. Dino Austria, reported to Guerrero last November 5, 2021, the confiscation of some P1.9 million worth of smuggled cigarettes placed in 40 boxes while being transported by motor boat at Glan, Sarangani Bay, within the vicinity of the subport of Dadiangas.
Austria said two suspects, Sandy Sawotong and Edison Pareda, both of legal age, were also arrested and detained for further investigation and filing of appropriate charges in court (updated/corrected on November 9, 2021; 4:45PM).