P8.65-M misdeclared glutathione products seized by Customs at NAIA

Customs personnel open boxes containing misdeclared glutathione products (Photo courtesy of Bureau of Customs)

About 48 cartons of glutathione and other beauty products worth P8.65 million were seized at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for being misdeclared, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said on Wednesday.

The two shipments containing the products were seized after the consignee, identified as James Malinao Halasan “misdeclared the items as personal effects.”

“Packages of James Malinao Halasan flew from Bangkok, Thailand to Manila on board PR731 on February 13 but an alert order was issued by lawyer Vincent Phillip Maronilla, district collector of NAIA for alleged misdeclaration,” the bureau said in a statement.

Halasan’s two shipments, which weighed 927 kg and 1,120 kg, respectively, showed “image irregularities” during an x-ray examination, the BOC disclosed.

BOC commissioner Isidro Lapena said the products were found to be misdeclared after the shipments were physically examined in the presence of agents of the Enforcement and Security Service, X-Ray Inspection Project, and Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force.

“Another shipment of Halasan was placed on hold by the BOC-NAIA which were declared as personal effects but was suspected to contain the same misdeclared beauty products,” Lapena said.

“To ensure that his packages will not slip under our sleeves, BOC already issued an alert order on the remaining 8 packages,” he added.

The shipments, Lapena said, would be subject to seizure for violation of Section 1400 of Republic Act 10863, which penalizes misdeclaration, misclassification, and undervaluation in declaring goods.  /muf