BOC files 4 smuggling cases vs various firms

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed four smuggling cases yesterday but its continued filing of various anti-corruption cases has yet to translate to higher revenues.

Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez said the agency filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday four cases against smugglers including a female gun smuggler and an importer replicating optical media.

Offenses include misdeclaration, misclassification, undervaluation and importation without permit.

Among those charged before the DOJ is Angeles City-based businesswoman Lucia Chicco for illegal importation of firearms.

Alvarez said Chicco tried to clear a 40-footer container van with household goods and personal effects. Upon examination, however, Customs officials found assorted long barrel guns and ammunition, two revolvers, six pistols and two safety deposit boxes containing other assorted guns.

Aside from guns and ammunition, Alvarez said an inventory of items found in Chicco’s container van which arrived at the Manila International Container Port included one used 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle, a used 1983 Kawasaki Mortorcycle and used a 1999 Plymouth sedan which had also been seized for not being covered by the required permit from the Bureau of Import Service of the Department Trade and Industry.

The second case involves unlawful importation of assorted units of compact discs replicating machines and accessories.

The BOC filed charges against Kristofferson Manalo, broker of logistics firm Kintetsu World Express or KWE.

“The entire shipment was seized and the broker was charged with unlawful importation because the machines were brought in without the required permit, clearance and license from the Optical Media Board,” said Alvarez.

The illegal shipment consisting of four units of replicating machines and various spare parts and accessories had a dutiable value of P280 million.

The third case involves a fly-by-night company being used as a dummy by “still unknown parties.” This, the agency said, had also been exposed as existing only on paper following investigations conducted by its anti-smuggling team.

Alvarez said the company Goldrich International Exchange could not be located in its listed address in Parañaque City.

According Customs Deputy Commissioner Gregorio Chavez, concurrently executive director of the BOC’s Run After Smugglers Program, Goldrich “is a bogus business enterprise that was created mainly for the purpose of securing customs accreditation and facilitating the entry of unlawfully imported goods to the damage and prejudice of the government”

Records of the case showed that between October 2009 and July 2010, Goldrich regularly made importations of various products that were declared in 269 import entries with a dutiable value of P80.9 million and taxes amounting to P16.9 million.

However, Chavez said this was significantly undervalued as BOC investigators found out that the 269 import entries involved assorted commodities worth at least P1.3 billion.

Among the officers and employees of Goldrich the BOC charged before the DOJ for unlawful importation, misdeclaration and other violations of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines include Teodoro Mendoza, a major stock holder and Alberto Aguilar, principal officer.

The last case involves a company, which also used a fictitious address, Alvarez said.

The BOC filed charges against Kornets International Company Limited, which allegedly tried to bring in counterfeit products.

“A container filled with cosmetic hardware and electronic products consigned to Kornets was abandoned by the company after the shipment was ordered by the BOC to undergo 100 percent examination and inventory,” he said.

Furthermore, he also said that the assorted merchandise worth at least P3 million were all certified by the concerned manufacturers as fake.

Among the companies whose products were imitated by the suppliers of Kornets include Unilever Philippines, Nivea and L’ Oreal.

Alvarez said he would make “smuggling unprofitable” with the filing of cases against smugglers.