P2.5-M smuggled motorcycles seized

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has confiscated a shipment of 64 smuggled motorcycles at the Port of Manila.

BOC personnel intercepted the shipment, worth about P2.5 million, after they found “suspicious images” on the bureau’s X-ray scanning system.

Lawyer Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang, head of the Customs X-ray Scanning Project, said importer Victoria Motors Corp. declared the shipment that arrived late January aboard a vessel from China as “60 cartons of knockdown motorcycle parts.”

She said they discovered that the shipment actually contained 60 complete brand new units of Motoposh motorcycle (SBK 200), four undeclared motorcycles, one generator set and 682 pieces of motorcycle rims.

“This is a clear case of technical smuggling. The shipment consists of undeclared and misdeclared items both in the import entry and in the packing list. Also, there has been a misapplication of clearance with the value reference information system as the items were declared to be in knockdown form, not in completely built form,” Mangaoang explained.

She asked Port of Manila collector Horacio Suansing to issue a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) against the shipment and file charges against its importer.  – Edu Punay