Court finds importer guilty of misdeclaration

A Manila court has sentenced an importer for misdeclaration of shipment in 2020, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC). The BOC said Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 24 found Divina Bisco Aguilar, proprietor of Real Mart, guilty of misdeclaring a shipment of carrots as frozen pastry buns three years ago. “The accused has been sentenced to a prison term of three years and one day to four years,” the BOC said. The case stemmed from an incident on June 26, 2020, when a shipment consigned to Real Mart arrived at the BOC-Port of Manila from Singapore. The consignee, owned by Aguilar, declared the shipment to contain 2,500 cartons of frozen pastry buns. However, upon inspection, it was found that the shipment contained carrots. “Subsequently, a warrant of seizure and detention was issued against the shipment, and appropriate charges were filed against the owner of Real Mart,” the BOC said.

—TINA G. SANTOS

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