BUREAU of Customs (BoC) officials want those responsible for the distribution and selling of smuggled goods in the raided 168 Mall prosecuted and convicted.
“We want these people to go in jail because they are economic saboteurs,” lawyer Reynaldo Umali, Customs Legal Service director, told Standard Today. '
The bureau is currently identifying the suppliers, importers and brokers responsible for the distribution of the bulk of merchandise that was seized from the three-story mall last week.
Umali said they are not discounting the possibility that some retailers and tenants are brokers and importers themselves. “Once we confirm this or we find out that they were also involved in the illegal importation of their items, we will file criminal charges against them and their accreditation to the BoC will be suspended.”
He added that the Port of Manila’s law division will issue a warrant of seizure and detention on the seized items. If the retailers fail to pay proper duties and taxes, the seized goods will be subject to forfeiture proceedings.
“At the moment, the bureau is looking for the civil liability of the retailers, but if there are drugs involved in the merchandise or if the items were in violation of the intellectual property rights, then the criminal aspect will come,” Umali said.
In a related development, acting Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales yesterday issued a stern warning to retail outlets that carry imported goods with duties and taxes that are not correctly paid.
Morales said in a statement that the BoC would seize the imported items if retailers are unable to show proof that duties and taxes have been properly paid.
“Retailers will have their day in court. I hope importers and retailers will not take the risk of skirting customs laws and regulations,” he stressed.
According to him, retailers have 24 hours to produce proof that the goods were paid with proper duties and taxes.
Under Section 2536 of the Tariff and customs Code of the Philippines, customs commissioners may demand evidence of payment of duties and taxes on foreign articles openly offered for sale or kept in storage.
“With the absence of X-ray machines and the uncompleted automation of customs procedures, BoC has to largely depend on the law to countercheck imported items,” Morales explained.
Last week, some 500 policemen and BoC personnel raided the 168 Mall in Binondo, Manila, where about 25,000 sacks of imported goods suspected to be smuggled items were confiscated.
The agency is strengthening its antismuggling campaign to meet its collection goal, which is expected to increase by 35.5 percent to P192 billion this year from last year’s P141.7 billion. Vito Barcelo and Lawrence Agcaoili
Prosecute economic saboteurs -BOC
Reply With Quote
Posting Permissions
