P900-M luxury cars discovered at Taguig warehouse

Approximately P900 million worth of high-end luxury cars were seized from a Taguig City warehouse in an operation by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) last Wednesday.

The Bureau of Customs (BoC) lauded these operations, the latest of which resulted in the CIIS-MICP team apprehending 44 units of smuggled luxury cars, including Ferraris, Maseratis and Rolls Royces.

According to CIIS Director Verne Enciso, the cars were found at Auto Vault Speed Shop on Levi Mariano Avenue, Barangay Ususan in Taguig City. This is the third raid conducted by the CIIS on auto shops in Metro Manila selling luxury vehicles.

Previous raids were conducted in Parañaque, Pasay, and Makati.

CIIS-MICP agents served a Letter of Authority (LoA) to the shop owner or representative at the seller’s address.

“They have a variety of high-end luxury cars, including very high-end models like the McLaren, and mid-tier cars. There is a market for these, and some businesses and groups have realized the opportunity to profit from them,” Enciso said.

He disclosed that the team found various luxury vehicles including two Ferrari 488 units, two Mercedes Benz C Class units and one unit each of a McLaren 720S, Rolls Royce Cullinan, Maserati Levante, Lamborghini Huracan, BMW M3, Dodge RAM, Ferrari 488, Ford Everest, Ford Mustang, GMC Yukon Denali, Honda Civic SIR, Honda S2000, BMW M2, Land Rover, Land Rover Range Rover Autobiography, Lexus LBX, Lexus LX570, BMW I4, Mazda Miata, Audi A1, Mercedes Benz AMG SLK, Mercedes Benz G Wagon Brabus, Mercedes Benz G63 and a Mercedes Benz GLE450.

It also included a Mitsubishi Lancer, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Porsche 997 Carrera, Porsche 993 Turbo, Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Cayman, Porsche GT3, Porsche GT3 RS, Porsche GT3 Touring, Porsche Turbo, Toyota Seqouia, Toyota Corolla Cross, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and Toyota Land Cruiser VX.R.

Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy said that these operations showcased the skills and training of BoC agents and urged them to remain vigilant as smugglers continue to find ways to circumvent Philippine laws.

A final inventory to determine the exact year models and other details of the smuggled vehicles will be conducted by Customs examiners in the presence of witnesses from the CIIS, Enforcement and Security Service, Philippine Coast Guard, barangay officials and the warehouse owner.

The owners, lessees, lessors, occupants, representatives or any responsible parties were given 15 days from receipt of the LoAs to submit documents proving that duties and taxes were paid correctly.