BATAS turns attention versus vehicle smugglers

On Aug 26, 2021

A prosecutor from the BOC Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS), an office under RCMG deputy commissioner, Atty. Vener Baquiran, is seen swearing as to the veracity of the complaints BATAS filed at the Department of Justice against suspected vehicle smugglers (photo credit: BOC-PIAD).

THE Bureau of Customs Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) filed two more cases of smuggling before the Department of Justice (DOJ), this time targeting two vehicle smugglers, after suing three trading companies last week for the attempted smuggling of red onions.

In a statement, the BOC said criminal cases have been filed against the registered owners and customs brokers of ‘Desmo Trading’ and ‘ADNFINEST Marketing Corporation’ last August 20, 2021.

Desmo was apprehended on October 30, 2020 at the Port of Cebu for misdeclaring its shipment of 2 jet skis, 7 motorcycles, and 2 used boats with an estimated value of P6.867 million.

A similar complaint against the registered owner and customs brokers of ADNFINEST for the illegal importation of 3 luxury vehicles from Dubai at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) worth P24.422 million. last May 27, 2021.

The shipment, consisting of one 2021 model Toyota Land Cruiser, one second hand 2016 model Nissan GTR, one second hand 2020 model Chevrolet CamaroZL1 and 98 pieces of used tires, has been lying dormant at the port since its arrival on May 27, 2021. It was finally inspected and ordered seized by MICP district collector Romeo Allan Rosales last June 9, 2021 (see also Pinoy Exposé Issue No. 22).

The filing of the cases came on the heel of the filing by BATAS last week of smuggling charges against ‘Thousand Sunny Enterprise,’ ‘Duar Te Mira Non-Specialized Wholesale Trading’ and, ‘CBJ Consumer Goods Trading’ whose illegal shipments of red onions were all apprehended by the Port of Subic and the Port of Davao last month (see also Pinoy Exposé Issue No. 31/32).

BATAS is under the supervision of the Revenue Collection and Monitoring Group (RCMG) under Deputy Commissioner Atty. Vener Baquiran.

As of August 20, 2021, BATAS has already sued the officials and customs brokers of 64 companies for smuggling before the Justice Department.