The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized various vehicle parts and second-hand car units inside two containers shipped to the Manila International Container Port (MICP) from the United States, with an estimated value of ₱10.8 million.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Services (BOC-CIIS) said the shipments were subjected to x-ray imaging at the MICP after derogatory information was received that they contained “misdeclared and undeclared items.”
The shipment was declared as auto parts and accessories but was discovered to be second-hand actual car units, without import permits.
“The x-ray imaging on-site revealed that the shipments, which were declared to contain assorted car accessories and supplies, actually have 12 motor vehicles inside. That led to a request for the issuance of an alert order so the CIIS MICP can conduct a thorough 100% physical examination of the containers,” the director added.
Enciso said the two shipments contained the following car models: one unit of 1996 Acura Integra, three units of 1998 Honda Civic, one unit of 1999 Honda Civic, four units of 2000 Honda Civic, one unit of 2002 Honda S2000, one unit of 2004 Honda S2000, and one unit of 2007 Mini Cooper S.
The shipments containing the motor vehicles were consigned to Danesh Consumer Goods Trading from the United States, Director Enciso stated.
For his part, Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy shared that the two shipments consigned to Danesh Consumer Goods Trading were intercepted for carrying misdeclared and undeclared items.
“We had solid information that these shipments may be smuggling motor vehicles into our country under the guise of importing car accessories and parts. This is why our officers have been hard at work these past weeks to verify the information our intelligence unit received and apply the proper seizure procedures,” he said.
BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio assured that the groups and individuals behind the smuggling operation will face the full extent of the law.
“These are in clear violation of Section 1400 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The bureau will file the appropriate cases and make sure that these organizations will be held responsible. The BOC is not beating around the bush. We have an all-hands-on-deck approach and we are ready to use all our resources—both technical and technology—to get to the bottom of these smuggling activities,” he said.