Customs men find pistols in boxes for water heaters

Customs officials on Tuesday show the two pistols found in packages bound for Vietnam and Hong Kong.—MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Customs officials have arrested a man for inquiring about two packages supposedly containing electric water heaters but were found to have concealed handguns as well.

Alfonso Sanchez, 21, a resident of Caloocan City, was charged with violating the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act as well as the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Sanchez was later released after posting bail.

Outbound packages

According to Bureau of Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-Naia) x-ray inspection project chief Jaybee Cometa, two brand-new pistols—a cal. .45 and a 9mm—were detected on May 10 inside two outbound packages stored at the Thomas Nationwide Transportation warehouse in Pasay City.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Cometa said the packages contained electric water heaters and were consigned to a Christopher Yeung in Hong Kong and a certain Lau in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

The pistols were discovered when the packages went through an x-ray machine after Sanchez inquired about their status, Cometa said.

Sanchez was placed under arrest when he failed to produce the Philippine National Police documents required for transporting firearms.

Cometa said Sanchez claimed he was instructed to inquire about the packages.

Although he denied knowledge of the firearms, he was charged with gun smuggling in the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.