‘Car smuggler’ tries again, is caught again

P4 million cigarettes seized at NAIA; 38th smuggling case filed

On Jun 7, 2021

MICP customs officers examine the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, part of the 3 luxury high end vehicles they seized last June 2, 2021, the two others being a Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG and a Mercedes Benz E220. MICP CIIS chief Alvin Enciso said the vehicles were valued at P20 million and brought in by a trading company, JLFDM Consumer Trading, the same company they also apprehended last May 26, 2021, for the same offence of vehicle smuggling. The apprehension is the second under the port’s ‘Coplan Tsekot’ that aims to prevent the MICP from being a gateway for the smuggling of vehicles into the country (photo: BOC-PIAD)

A TRADING company fast becoming notorious as a vehicle smuggler was caught once again by alert operatives of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) last June 2, 2021, for trying to bring in 3 luxury vehicles worth more than P20 million and bales of used clothing.

MICP-CIIS chief, Alvin Enciso, in a report said apprehended were a unit of Ferrari F430 Scuderia, one Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG and one Mercedes Benz E220 declared as “used truck parts from Japan” by the consignee, JLFDM Consumer Trading. 33 bales of used clothing were also found, Enciso reported.

Only last May 26, 2021, the CIIS had also apprehended JLFDM Trading for trying to bring in a Porsche Boxter, two unis of Toyota MR-S sports car and one Mercedes Benz SLK Sports car valued at more than P10 million, along with 40 bales of used clothing and described as “auto parts from Japan.

Already aware of the previous incident, Enciso said they immediately requested for the issuance of an alert order against the shipment and for the conduct of a 100 percent physical inspection that led to the smuggled vehicles discovery.

Enciso said the inspection was also witnessed by members of the Enforcement and Security Service (ESS/Customs Police) and Formal Entry Division (FED) of the Port.

The examination also revealed 33 bales of ukay-ukay that were used to conceal the vehicles.

The apprehension is the second major accomplishment of the CIIS’ ‘Coplan Tsekot’ that seeks to prevent the MICP from being used as an entry point for vehicle smuggling, Enciso added.

In a separate anti-smuggling inspection the next day, June 3, Enciso also reported the confiscation of 2.5 metric tons of illegally imported veterinary medicines declared as “latex gloves from India valued at more than P5 million.

Enciso said that warrants of seizure and detention have been issued against the shipments in both incidents.

The reams of cigarettes bound for Australia that were apprehended at the NAIA last June 6, 2021. The illegal shipment was declared as ‘paper hand towels’ in the shipper’s failed effort to misled Philippine customs officers (photo: BOC-PIAD).

Meanwhile, at the Port of NAIA, Coll. Carmelita ‘Mimel’ Talusan, in a report to Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, said they confiscated cigarettes misdeclared as “paper hand towels” worth P4 million.

On examination, however, the cargo turned out to consist of 2,520 reams of ‘Marlboro’ cigarettes.

The cigarettes were about to be shipped out to Australia last June 6, 2021, based on the subsequent statement released by the BOC.

Records show that the shipment was commissioned for export by a local company based in Novaliches, Quezon City, to South Geelong Victoria, Australia.

Upon physical examination by the assigned Trade Control Examiner, it was instead found to actually contain cigarettes and not paper hand towels.

Talusan said she had also issued a WSD against the shipment while its case record is to be forwarded to the bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) under the office of deputy commissioner for revenue collection and monitoring(RCMG), Atty. Vener Baquiran.

“The case records shall also be referred to BATAS for possible case building and profiling against the personalities behind the foiled illegal exportation of tobacco products,” Talusan said.

BATAS chalks 38 criminal complaints versus smugglers

In a separate statement on June 1, 2021, Baquiran, for his part, announced that BATAS has already recorded the filing of 38 smuggling cases since the start of the year after two more importers and their respective customs brokers were hauled before the Department of Justice last May 28, 2021.

Officers of the BOC Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) swear as to the veracity of the complaints they filed against two more suspected smugglers and their customs brokers before a prosecutor from the Department of Justice, June 1, 2021. The cases increased to 38 the number of smuggling cases BATAS has thus far filed since the start of the year (photo: BOC-PIAD).

Named respondents to the cases are the registered owners and brokers of ‘P63 Construction Supplies Trading’ and, ‘Brodlie Medical Systems, Inc.’

P63 Construction was accused for illegally importing 180 drums of sodium cyanide worth P1.45 million last February 23, 2021, at the MICP by not securing the required permit from the Environment Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR) and other existing customs law and government regulations as cyanide is highly toxic and poisonous chemical.

Brodlie Medical, for its part, is accused of misdelaring its shipment of used medical equipment worth P951,260.92 last December 29, 2020, also at the MICP.

Baquiran noted that to date, BATAS had already filed 38 criminal complaints before the DOJ against unscrupulous importers and customs brokers, and 23 administrative complaints filed before the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) against errant customs brokers.