Customs raid on 'holiday break'

MANILA, Philippines – Operatives of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) recently went on a “holiday break” and temporarily stopped conducting raids outside ports to avoid speculations that they were soliciting contributions from businessmen for Christmas time.

BOC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) director Jairus Paguntalan said that they would keep up the traditional “holiday ceasefire” and not allow their agents to conduct raids or operations outside ports.

During “ber months,” meaning September, October, November and December, “our law enforcement plan would focus inside the ports.

“We will refrain from conducting raids outside the ports because it might be misconstrued that we are soliciting gifts for Christmas,” Paguntalan said.

“We would concentrate on the shipments while they are still within the port boundaries or within the Customs zone, and we would coordinate with the Formal Entry Division (FED) to determine what are the shipments coming in,” he added.

But the BOC-CIIS chief said this directive is not absolute and that there would be exemptions. The BOC would still check the local markets for pyrotechnics and high-risk commodities.

Paguntalan said he would issue directive for urgent operations.

Those who would be caught violating his directive would face administrative charges, placed on floating status, and their mission order to carry firearms canceled.

Violators would also be subjected to an internal inquiry, Paguntalan said.

The BOC-CIIS will resume operations in January next year. – Evelyn Macairan