BOC totes up P2.4B in seized goods

Commissioner Ruffy Biazon: Seizures a big boost to the local market. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized more than P2.4 billion in smuggled goods in the first eight months of the year, according to BOC files furnished the Inquirer.

The items included around P500 million worth of cellular phones, cameras, high-end bags and clothes, and unregistered health products confiscated by the BOC two weeks ago, as well as a South Korean-made recreational submarine that costs at least P5 million.

In a statement, Commissioner Ruffy Biazon said three container vans of highly dutiable goods were misdeclared by their consignee, Tumbler Enterprises, to avoid paying the right duties and taxes.

“These seizures are definitely a big boost to the local market, especially for distributors of high-end international brand products as this will enhance investor confidence in the country. It will also avoid unfair competition in the local market due to the availability of cheaper but low-quality smuggled fake products,” he said.

Biazon said the estimated value of the smuggled goods “would have been the equivalent amount in local sales lost had these three container vans been able to get through the customs gates.”

The BOC’s Intellectual Property Rights Division is set to file criminal charges against the erring trading firm and its officials in the Department of Justice.

The submarine, consigned to Dionysus Trading, a Caloocan City-based company owned by Roberto Navarra, was misdeclared as “outboard motor parts and accessories,” said the bureau’s public information and assistance division.

Biazon warned traders anew to “cease from attempting to smuggle goods into the country.”

“The long arm of the law will eventually catch up with those engaged in illegal activities. And when this happens, we will not hesitate to prosecute all those involved, no matter who their backers and connections are in the highest pillars of government,” he said.

According to the BOC head, “we will prosecute and go for the maximum penalties allowed by law for all those caught violating customs laws.”

In the last three years, the bureau has filed a total of 146 smuggling cases in the Department of Justice.

However, only three of the cases resulted in convictions.

Last weekend, Biazon did not respond to the Inquirer’s query if the bureau was finally winning the war against smugglers.

Earlier, he acknowledged in a phone interview that “it’s true smuggling is still one of the biggest problems facing the Bureau of Customs.”

“However, it’s not true that we are not addressing the problem,” Biazon said.

Biazon had put the blame mainly on “about 50 percent of customs operations still being done manually, as well as some antiquated laws.”

But he asserted that “with our ongoing shift to automation and other technical strategies, we’re doing our best to plug the operational loopholes.”

Biazon stressed the need to “have more convictions of smugglers in light of President Aquino’s order to reform the agency and curb smuggling.”

On the very low conviction rate of smugglers, he said the bureau was not to blame.

“Remember, the conviction of those engaged in smuggling is not the job of the Bureau of Customs but of the courts.”

The BOC, he pointed out, “has been consistently filing smuggling cases every other week, but a big number of the cases remain pending in the courts.”

The bureau plans to “enhance its coordination with the judiciary to secure more convictions and put smugglers behind bars,” he said.

The Bureau of Customs has been singled out by President Aquino as one agency whose performance in curbing corruption was wanting.