The Bureau of Customs yesterday seized some P40 million worth of various smuggled items at a facility in Laguna owned by a storage firm servicing the agency.
Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said a total of seven containers in two different shipments consigned to two firms were confiscated at the ATI Compound in Calamba after they were found to be in violation of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP).
The first shipment, consigned to Multi-Free Trading Inc., contained sacks of white sugar worth P4 million. The cargo, containing five vans, was wrongfully declared by its owner as “2,500 packages of kitchenware.”
Representatives from the Sugar Regulatory Administration SRA confirmed that the consignee did not have the necessary clearance or authority to import the shipment of sugar, which was transshipped via Singapore from Thailand.
Morales said the other shipment seized had two containers of assorted electronics and accessories, including 2,875 units of Nokia and Sony Ericsson cellphones.
The shipment, consigned to Golden Armour Enterprises, was wrongfully declared as “houseware, plastic products, plastic pail and PVC Leatherette” but actually contained cellphones, 62,500 pieces of cellphone accessories, 67,200 DVD movies, 2,818 units of assorted housewares such as water dispensers, sander discs, pocket rulers and stainless steel step bins, over 300 “Hello Kitty” bags, 119 packages of assorted auto parts.
“This shipment, aside from being misdeclared and undeclared, was grossly undervalued at only $3,654. Customs appraisers, however, estimated the total worth of the contents of this container to be around P20 million,” said Customs police chief Col. Jose Yuchongco.
The other container cosigned was also declared as housewares, but were found to contain 80,080 pieces of assorted cellphone chargers, 3,600 pieces Nokia cellphone batteries, almost 20,000 pieces of “Pokemon” game cards, 8,640 pieces of “Salvatore Ferragamo” wallets, 600 pieces of Polo Grand USA wallets, 2,000 Rado wristwatches, 11,150 pieces of Gucci bags, 1,600 pieces of Coach USA pouches, 336 pieces of I-pod Nano, 100 units of VCD MP3 players. There were also packages of assorted cellphone accessories, chargers, and portable DVD players. – With Ed Amoroso