黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Four 40-footer container vans were confiscated by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Thursday on suspicions that the goods inside them were misdeclared before authorities.

The seizures were done through five search warrants issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18 on Thursday morning, CIDG Anti-Organized Crime Unit officer-in-charge Lt. Col. Joey Arandia told reporters in Camp Crame.

Arandia said the container vans came out of the Port of Manila and were seized in Valenzuela City as well as Bocaue town, Bulacan province on Thursday afternoon.

The operation was done in coordination with the Office of the Special Envoy for Transnational Crime (OSETC), which received an anonymous complaint that the contents of the container vans were misdeclared.

鈥淏ased doon sa bill of lading or manifest na sinubmit sa Bureau of Customs, lahat ng containers na subjects of the search warrants is single-item declaration,鈥� OSETC legal and international affairs chief Martin Ontog said in a press conference also in Camp Crame on Thursday.

(Based on the bill of lading or manifest submitted to the Bureau of Customs, all the containers that were the subjects of the search warrants were single-item declarations.)

鈥淎ng nangyari dito most likely nagkaroon ng (What happened here most likely is that there was a) single-item declaration to avert the correct payment of taxes,鈥� Ontog added.

Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act requires the 鈥渟ufficient and specific鈥� description of goods in goods declarations so they may be properly assessed for the collection of duties and taxes.

No arrests were made, according to Arandia, adding that authorities only found the drivers and porters of the container vans.

Further, CIDG Director Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III refused to disclose the name of the consignee, citing a privacy concern.

Inventory in progress

Two of the container vans were opened before reporters in Camp Crame.

One of them was said to contain rubber bags but, upon being opened, were found to contain packs of tissue paper, silverware and mini electric fans.

The other one contained footwear but authorities have yet to determine whether the bill of lading accurately reflected its actual footwear brand and weight.

As for the other two container vans seized, Torre said, 鈥淢ay dalawa kaming mga nahuli na at nabuksan na at confirmed na ang violations ng dalawa doon. Nasa ibang area sa Para帽aque.鈥�

(We have two confiscated container vans that have already been opened and their violations have been confirmed. They are in another area in Para帽aque.)

Ontog said the two container vans were supposedly declared to contain electric stoves and electric fans.

However, Arandia told reporters that golf batteries, flavored food, radiator coolants, and brake and parts cleaners were also found in the cargo.

Arandia added that authorities have yet to complete its inventory of the confiscated goods.