BOC to sue 2 more firms for smuggling

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will file smuggling charges against two importers before the Department of Justice (DOJ) this week.

BOC Commissioner Ruffy Biazon told reporters in the DOJ last week he was planning to file charges against vehicle importer RMG Trading 99 and Japanese products importer Japan Home Inc. whose combined shipments, worth over P20 million, were recently seized.

Eric Albano, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Special Operations (CIIS-SO) head, said the smuggled goods were misdeclared, undervalued and had fictitious names as consignees.

“One way to stop smuggling is to drain the smugglers’ resources. And we can do this by apprehending and confiscating their illegally imported goods,” he stressed.

Biazon said BOC operatives seized 11 shipping containers of smuggled goods, including one that contained two luxury vehicles – a Hummer and a Chrysler 300C – and an Aprilla motorcycle valued at P12 million imported by a certain Christina Bitanga McCain.

Nine of the containers held items such as green peas, U-bolts, used shoes and bags, and connectors worth P6.1 million imported by RMG Trading 99.

Japan Home Inc., on the other hand, could lose P2.1 million in 1,834 boxes of cosmetics stacked in a 40-foot shipping container, Biazon said.