PhP 15 Million Smuggled Used Clothing Seized by BOC
Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon today (July 12, 2013) led the inspection of four (4) forty-footer container vans of used clothing (“ukay-ukay”) worth PhP 15 million which were seized by alert Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) operatives at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), an operating unit of the Bureau of Customs-Intelligence Group (BOC-IG) under Deputy Commissioner Danilo Lim, after these were found to have been misdeclared as school supplies, centra boards, tailor shop accessories and trolley bags.
According to Biazon, the four container vans of used clothing which all arrived in one ship from Hong Kong last June 10, 2013 were consigned to Blue Shadow Trading of Rm. 325 Madrigal Building, Escolta, Manila.
“The importation of used-clothing is prohibited under our customs laws for reasons of securing public safety and economic security. This is the reason why the consignee of these four container vans of used clothing misdeclared the shipment.”Biazon said adding that, “But the Bureau of Customs will always be a step ahead of smugglers and we will aggressively pursue charges against those caught violating our Customs laws.”
According to Biazon the owners of Blue Shadow Trading will subsequently be charged in court for violation of Section 2530 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) and Republic Act No. 4653, the Act Prohibiting the Importation of Used Clothing. Biazon also praised the MICP-CIIS operatives led by Bienvenido Rubio for a job well done
For his part, Lim assured his MICP operatives that their efforts to seize the PhP 15 million used-clothing shipments will not go to waste as IG will monitor the progress of the charges soon to be filed by the BOC against the consignee of these hot “ukay-ukay” items.
“Even as we will give full support to all out operating units in the BOC’s anti-smuggling campaign, we will also closely monitor the progress of the cases the Bureau has filed against those we have caught violating our customs laws.” Lim said.
The IG has recently enhanced its intelligence network with more private sector participation being tapped for its intelligence gathering system.
