Two traders and their respective brokers were today slapped with smuggling charges by the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) Run-After-The Smugglers (RATS) officials led by Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon for attempting to smuggle into the country 18 million pesos worth of illegally imported Digital Video Discs (DVD), lap top and cell phone accessories and unidentified chemicals, among other goods.
ZACHRIS GENERAL MERCHANDISE Atty.-In-Fact Daribeth Sevillano of Mabolo, Cebu City, together with her company’s licensed Customs broker Joseph Spencer R. Lopez, were charged for violations of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) and Republic Act 9239 or the Optical Media Act of 2003 when they failed to produce the required Optical Media Board permit for their 20-footer container van importation of 1,200 cartons of DVD-Rs worth eight (8) million pesos.
RICHFLOW TRADING owner Crisanto Caldozo Jr., and his licensed Customs broker Janet Jackelou R. Coriga for their part were also charged for smuggling after their 40-footer container van shipment of 88,750 pieces of DVDs, music DVDs, 103,800 pieces of assorted cell phone and laptop accessories, unidentified chemicals and other goods worth 10 million pesos were misdeclared as housewares.
According to Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, the smuggling attempts which were made in the Ports of Cebu and the Manila International Container Port (MICP) happened in the month of March this year. Zachris’ shipment arrived at the Port of Cebu on March 3, 2012, while Richflow’s shipment arrived at the MICP on March 31, 2012.
“The BOC’s anti-smuggling campaign is now on a high-gear. So we expect more seizures and charges to be filed within the coming weeks. And we will not hesitate to prosecute all those involved in this illegal trade, no matter who are behind all these,” Biazon said.
“We are now closely monitoring the entire loop of the import facilitation process, from sanitizing the importers accreditation to the final release of shipments. I have also made instructions to all concerned BOC officials to spare no one,” he added.
Revenue Collection and Monitoring Group Deputy Commissioner and Concurrent RATS Head Peter Manzano for his part said, today’s filing of cases bring to thirty four (34) the number of cases filed against suspected smugglers in Biazon’s eight months BOC leadership.
