The Bureau of Customs has filed criminal charges yesterday against 33 people, four of them personnel of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, in connection with the smuggling of 15 containers of resins at the Manila International Container Port three months ago.
The shipment allegedly belonged to suspected smuggler Samuel Lee, who was earlier arrested and sued by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for the smuggling of resins worth P3 million at the Port of Manila early last month.
According to Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, Lee was not involved in the case of the 15 containers, which were seized by Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service at the MICP last January.
Morales said those charged were officers, employees and brokers of One Logistics Inc., JPC Customs Brokerage, Options Logistics, Acestar International Services Corp., KSN Air and Sea Freight Co. Inc., and JBN Trucking Co.
The four Peza personnel were identified as documentation unit officer in charge Emiliana Ignacio, examiner Hernan Rombano, Peza-PCDU police officers Edgardo Provido and Emerita Sampayan.
Morales said the accused tampered with Peza permits to smuggle the 15 containers of resins, a raw material in producing monobloc chairs and tables, from Dammam and Kuwait between Jan. 20 and 22.
“The modus operandi of the group involved the use of authentic but tampered Peza-issued permits. In this case a valid import permit control number was substituted and authorized signatures were forged to make it appear that the shipment was legitimate and duly approved by the Peza,” said Morales.
The consignees named in the spurious documents were ZPI Phils. Inc., Mitsuwa Phils. and Asaba Manufacturing Phils. Inc., all of which denied ownerships of the said shipments.
Morales said transshipment, warehousing and import permit application forms are restricted and can only be obtained by Peza-accredited locators and brokers.
Before the seizure, the bureau received an information that the release of a large shipment of resins was being facilitated using tampered import permits from the Cavite Export Processing Zone Authority.
This is the third case filed against a group of smugglers under the watch of Morales. The last was on March 6.
Previously, Customs’ Run After the Smugglers (RATS) group under the supervision of Customs legal service director, lawyer Reynaldo Umali, filed 13 smuggling cases involving 47 respondents before the Department of Justice. The RATS group is tasked to build up cases and prosecute individuals who violate the Tarrifs and Customs Code.
Of the 13, two had been filed before the proper trial courts. These involved the cases of Eduardo Untalan and Akram Mohammad Choudry, in connection with the illegal importation of luncheon meat and a Toyota Land Cruiser, respectively, worth about P50 million.
The bureau also filed complaints against Ronnel Cortes, proprietor of Dah Jaan Enterprises and its customs broker Rufina Cabrera, for the gross undervaluation of air-conditioning compressors with assembly.
Morales said the item was declared at P7,500 per unit as against the market value of P20,000 to P25,000 per unit.
The bureau also filed two cases against eight persons, including the proprietors of Arsicor General Merchandise and Joruan General Merchandise and its brokers and forwarders, for the misdeclaration of glutinous rice worth P3.14 million which was declared as show case and packing machine.
Morales said the bureau also charged 15 persons, including the owners of Ocean Navigator Express Logistics Inc., and its officers, brokers and representatives for the smuggling of resin worth P27 million.
Re: Gov’t to go after tax evaders, smugglers
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