Businessman tagged in shabu chemical smuggling

MANILA, Philippines - Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon has ordered to remove from their list of accredited companies those that are connected to a businessman who is allegedly behind the importation of P37.5 million worth of chemicals and laboratory equipment that could be used to produce billions of pesos worth of shabu.

Biazon said Wilfredo Bitancor is either the president or proprietor of W.A. Bitancor Enterprises, the reported consignee of the chemicals and equipment that were brought in six 20-footer container vans at the Port of Manila (POM) last year, Dec. 2 and 4. “He is now the subject of our investigation,” he said.

The initial result of their investigation showed that apart from W.A. Bitancor, the businessman is associated with other companies that have business dealings with the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Biazon said.

“I was told that there are other companies registered under his name...All companies connected to him would be removed from the accreditation (of the BOC) and of course he would be summoned in the course of the investigation and the filing of complaints,” he said.

The BOC also discovered that W.A. Bitancor Enterprises’ address in Binondo is fictitious.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Rico Puno earlier said they have reason to believe that the chemicals and equipment are connected to the recent drug raids conducted by law enforcement agencies in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City and in Caloocan City.

Bitancor’s shipment from Taiwan reportedly bore the same markings and the lot numbers of the products that were seen in the two previous raids, added Puno.

The shipment is also considered illegal because the consignee failed to secure clearance from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.