BOC sues importer, 2 customs brokers for P22.8M smuggling

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs sued on Thursday an importer and two customs brokers for allegedly smuggling fake branded footwear, food seasoning and rice worth almost P22.8 million.

Customs commissioner Ruffy Biazon led the filing of a smuggling case against Rodolfo Yabut, owner of the YSM Start Trading, and his brokers J-Anne Alfonso-Tabilla and Custodio Vestidas Jr.

Speaking in a news briefing, Biazon said YSM was the registered importer of two 40-foot container cans, which were intercepted by customs personnel at the Port of Manila recently.

He said YSM declared the shipment as “footwear,” but the container vans yielded misdeclared items such as fake branded shoes, rice, flour, glue, medical plastic strips and counterfeit foods seasonings.

“The filing of these cases is an affirmation of the [country’s] commitment to the international community that we will not tolerate copyright and intellectual rights infringements,” Biazon read from a prepared statement.