Customs intercepts drilling rig

Bureau of Customs (BOC) authorities at the Port of Cebu have intercepted a “grossly undervalued” rotary drilling rig shipment, used for drilling big holes in large quarries, open pit mines, petroleum extraction and other fields, with falsified documents from China.

The BOC, in a statement on Thursday, said the foiled smuggling attempt to release the drilling rig would have cost the government a loss of over P1.3 million in customs duties and taxes as its importation documents were found to have been falsified. —TINA G. SANTOS