Port of Cebu Customs seizes misdeclared vehicles, parts

The Bureau of Customs’ Port of Cebu has seized three containers with misdeclared vehicles, trucks and tires estimated to be worth P6 million, the agency said yesterday.

The first container, which arrived in the province last October, is consigned to Hoc Kuantat Trading. Customs officials subjected the shipments to X-ray scanning, which confirmed the suspicion that the container was misdeclared.

The BOC said X-ray images revealed that there were undeclared three units of used Kia Retona in the container together with the originally declared used Hyundai Starex Van.

Cebu Customs head Ricardo Belmonte said the shipment is considered abandoned and that forfeiture proceedings will follow, in favor of the government, since the consignee did not file for entry before the 30 day-grace period had lapsed.

Charges, meanwhile, will be filed against the trading firm for violations of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) and other customs laws.

Musashi International Trading Corp. on the other hand, declared its shipment as “used truck replacement parts.”

The container, which arrived in Cebu mid-October, was also subjected to X-ray scanning to confirm the consignees’ declaration.

The X-ray images revealed that actual contents of the container were used tires, a prohibited importation.

Criminal charges will be filed against Musashi international for violations of Section 2530 of the TCCP, the BOC also said.

Also inspected was a 40-footer container consigned to H&J Enterprises that was also declared as “used replacement parts and accessories for trucks.”

However X-ray scanning and examination showed that the container included a right hand drive garbage compactor truck and a right hand drive mini dump truck.