Customs agents seize guns, ammo

Alert Customs enforcement agents thwarted a recent attempt by an alleged gun running syndicate to sneak into the country some P10 million worth of firearms, ammunition and right-hand drive vehicles.

Seized at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) last week were 1,350 rounds of ammunition of various calibers and three magazines for a caliber .22 Beretta pistol.

According to Nestorio Gualberto, director of the Customs Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), the ammunition and magazines were contained in boxes declared as personal effects and household goods from Long Beach, California and consigned to a certain Eduardo Nueva of Vitalez Compound, Negros Occidental and a certain Domingo Hucalla of Bacolod City.

Gualberto said they are now in the process of verifying the identities of Nueva and Hucalla after the two failed to claim the boxes.

Also last week, Customs police agents seized a 40-foot container van also at the MICP after it was discovered that it contained assorted guns, gun parts, ammunitions and right-hand drive vehicles.

According to Gualberto, the container van which was facilitated by LNM Universal Brokerage, contained a balikbayan box consigned to Fidel Cafuir of San Antonio, Cavite and sent by a certain Jerry Domingo of Lynwood, Washington, USA.

When passed through an X-ray machine, the balikbayan box was shown to be containing two Ruger caliber .22 rifles, a Glock caliber 40 pistol; 3,595 rounds of ammunition for calibers .22, .25, .38, .45 and 9 mm pistols and for a 5.56 mm rifle.

Also discovered inside the balikbayan box were numerous gun parts and accessories, barles, telescopes, holsters, reloaders, trigger springs and magazines for various rifles and pistols of assorted calibers. At the same time, Customs police likewise seized at the MICP a smuggled right-hand drive Toyota sedan and a right-hand drive Honda Integra.

At the Port of Cebu, Customs enforcement agents also seized last week a 12 gauge Springfield shotgun and a caliber .22 pistol which was hidden inside a pile of personal effects inside a container van.

The container van was unloaded from the cargo vessel Dubai Trader from the US.

"We are now conducting follow-up operations to identify those behind the smuggling of these guns and ammunition. We have turned the guns and the ammunition to the custody of the Philippine National Police for safekeeping," Gualberto said.

He recommended the issuance of a warrant of seizure and detention for the seized guns and ammunition and for the smuggled right-hand drive vehicles. Gualberto added that the appropriate charges will also be filed against the consolidators, consignees and brokers of the seized items.