BOC charges smugglers anew before DOJ

Smuggle try foiled at Port of Manila, Port of Subic

On Mar 16, 2021

Attending case officers from the Bureau of Customs’ Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS), swearing on the veracity of the charges they filed against two suspected smugglers and their customs brokers before a prosecutor of the Department of Justice last March 5, 2021 (BOC-PIAD).

The Bureau of Customs (BOC), through the Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS), together with the Port of Manila and Port of Subic, filed criminal cases last March 5, 2021 against two importers and their customs brokers for violation of customs laws, rules, and regulations.

Arma Consumer Goods Trading is facing smuggling charges for the alleged unlawful importation of steel coils and face shields with a total value of P959,164.59 committed last June 25, 2020 at the Port of Manila.

The importer and its customs broker were charged for violation of Section 1401 (c) in relation to Sections 1400, 1403 and 1113 (i), (l) (3,4, and 5), 404 and 405 of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and Article 172 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended.

A criminal case was also filed against Zhenpin Consumer Goods Trading for the alleged unlawful importation and misdeclaration of various agricultural products such as carrots and broccoli amounting to P8,817,339.49 at the Port of Subic.

Zhenpin Consumer Goods Trading and its customs broker are now both facing twelve counts of violations of Section 1401 (e) in relation to Sections 1400, 1403, 1113 (f), (i), (l) (3) (4) (5), 117, 107, 404 and 412 of Republic Act No. 10863 otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), Sections 3 and 4 of Republic Act No. 10845 otherwise known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 in relation to Department of Agriculture Circular No. 04, Series of 2016, and Article 172 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), as amended.

BATAS, which is under revenue collection and monitoring group (RMCG) headed by Deputy Commissioner Atty. Vener Baquiran, is also set to file administrative cases before the Professional Regulation Commission(PRC) against the Licensed Customs Brokers involved in the said cases for the cancellation of their professional broker license (contributed by Dexter Gatoc, BOC-PIAD).