Customs looking into 3 ‘David Tans’ in rice smuggling

Davidson Bangayan INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA—The Bureau of Customs  said Friday it was investigating three “David Tans,” including Davidson Bangayan who surfaced on Tuesday to deny that he was the involved in rice smuggling.

According to deputy customs  commissioner for intelligence Jessie Dellosa, the 33-year-old Bangayan one of  three “David Tans” the bureau is investigating for alleged involvement in rice smuggling.

“We are conducting investigation parallel to the National Bureau of Investigation. Davidson Bangayan is on our list, but we’re still investigating. No concrete evidence yet,” Dellosa said during an inspection of smuggled goods, including firecrackers and used clothing, on Friday.

Without going into detai, Dellosa told reporters he hoped  to have the results of the investigation before the end of the month.

Asked if the the bureau would invite Bangayan, Dellosa replied there might be no need to summon the businessman as he was already questioned by the NBI.

Dellosa refused to give any information about the identity of the two other “David Tans,” saying it might preempt their investigation, which he claimed started even before Bangayan surfaced.

Dellosa simply said that one of the Tans was  “thin,” the second was  “stout” and the third  “young.”

He said he believed the three Tans were “old players” in the bureau.

“When I assumed the position, someone mentioned their names, so it looks like they’ve been here a while,” Dellosa said.

He added that one of the David Tans was involved in technical smuggling and that his investigators were still trying to determine the nature of the other two Tans’ operations.

He said that apart from the David Tans, the bureau was looking into the alleged involvement of the consignees and brokers in smuggling activities.

“What we are doing now is we are profiling personalities who are involved here… we’re looking at their modus operandi,” he said.

Earlier, the NBI said that Bangayan and David Tan were one and the same “Goliath” of rice smuggling. The NBI said several witnesses have come forward and identified him as the “source of the smuggled rice.”

Bangayan, accompanied by his lawyer, presented himself at the Department of Justice on Tuesday, While he denied any wrongdoing he admitted he “dabbled in selling rice.”

He said he voluntarily showed up after he saw photographs of David Tan in TV news reports on Monday that looked like him.