Smuggled used clothing seized

Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon. Noy Morcoso lll/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Customs officials on Friday seized P15 million worth of used clothing (“ukay-ukay”) smuggled into the country, which were misdeclared as school supplies, tailor shop accessories and trolley bags.

Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon led the inspection of the seized items stacked inside four 40-foot containers at the Manila International Container Port.

According to the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the four containers of used clothing, which all arrived in one ship from Hong Kong, were consigned to Blue Shadow Trading located in Escolta, Manila.

The BOC said the importation of used clothing is prohibited under the customs laws for reasons of securing public safety and economic security.

The owners of Blue Shadow Trading will subsequently be charged in court with violation of Section 2530 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines and Republic Act No. 4653, the act prohibiting the importation of used clothing, Biazon said.

Fake medicines and health supplements worth P700 million were also seized by the BOC on Thursday following a raid on a warehouse in Manila.

Operatives from the BOC, Intellectual Property Office and National Bureau of Investigation swooped down on a warehouse along Roman Street in Binondo, Manila.