PASG intercepts 2 motorcycle units at Port of Manila

The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group apprehended two units of completely built Harley Davidson motorcycle which were spirited out of the Port of Manila on board a 40-footer container van escorted by two Customs X-ray personnel a day after a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) was issued on the smuggled goods.

PASG chief Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr. said the motorcycles, shipped into the country hidden under the 95 pieces of household fixture and furniture, arrived in Manila from the United States on board S/S OOCL Ningbo.

Before the arrival of the ship, Villar said that an alert order had already been issued on a 40-footer container van No. NYKU 5560389 due to intelligence report that it was loaded with misdeclared goods.

The alerted container van was immediately subjected to full X-ray examination pursuant to Alert Order A/OC/20081203-101 resulting in the discovery of two Harley Davidson big bikes, which the Bureau of Customs immediately issued a WSD.

However, Villar said that despite the issued WSD, the motorcycles with other imported goods worth some P20 million loaded in the said van were still transported out of Gate 6, Port Area before dawn on Jan. 10 with two escorts reportedly from the Customs X-ray Inspection Project office. The two unidentified X-ray personnel hurriedly left the area upon seeing the PASG agents.

“These Customs men might have thought that the PASG was fast asleep at three in the morning. They were like thieves in the middle of the night but sorry, they’re not lucky enough for the PASG is working 24 hours a day,” Villar said in a statement. He said the PASG is still gathering information to unmask the escorts of the contraband and to file against them appropriate administrative and criminal charges.

Import documents showed the two expensive motorcycles were consigned to Customs broker Victorino Guilles Jr.

The motorcycles were forfeited after the broker’s representative Crispulo de Guzman categorically abandoned the contraband in favor of the government.