Customs executive wants vessel seized

MANILA, Philippines – An official of the Bureau of Customs recently recommended that a vessel that was allegedly smuggled in from China, be issued a warrant of seizure and detention after the consignee reportedly failed to pay more than P1 million in duties and taxes.

Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement Horacio Suansing Jr. said he had sent an endorsement letter to Port of Subic District Collector Marietta Zamoranos on June 24 requesting that she issue the warrant against the vessel Hai Sheng 789 that would be renamed Bucao 01.

“In view of clear and positive evidence that the importation of the said vessel was effected without going through a Customs house which is tantamount to outright smuggling, it is requested that the immediate issuance of WSD be issued against the subject vessel in evident violation of Section 2530 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, as amended,” Suansing said in the one-page letter.

But as of press time yesterday, Suansing said he has not yet received a feedback from Zamoranos if the WSD has already been issued.

The vessel was reportedly consigned to Bucao Mineral Resources Mining and Development Corp., a mining firm based in Zambales. The vessel Hai Sheng 789, which was a 2007 model and estimated to be valued at P3 million, is to be used for dredging activities.

Suansing added, “The vessel is currently docked in Subic. Before a WSD can be issued against it, we first had to locate its whereabouts so that our district collector would have jurisdiction over the ship.”

Based on their initial investigation, it appeared that the ship may have arrived in the country early this year, but was not immediately detected.