A total of 17 allegedly smuggled luxury cars worth P366 million were seized by the Bureau of Customs from a warehouse in Makati City.
BOC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Verne Enciso said the CIIS MICP team, together with the Philippine Coast Guard’s Task Force Aduana, visited the location to serve a Letter of Authority (LOA) to the shop owner or representative.
The BOC said this was necessary to verify the legitimacy of the vehicles’ importation as well as to ensure that the correct duties and taxes had been paid.
“I can confirm that our intelligence agents conducted an operation after receiving information regarding this showroom in Makati. We discovered several high-end luxury cars and are currently verifying the importation documents for these vehicles,” Enciso said.
The initial inventory indicated a variety of luxury cars and vehicles, including a Ferrari 488 Spider, Ferrari 812 Superfast, Porsche Targa, Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, BMW M4, Lexus LC500, Porsche Cayenne, Bentley Bentayga, Land Rover Defender, Audi RS Q8, McLaren 720S, Ford Explorer, Li Xiang L7 SUV, Abarth 595 Competizione, MV Agusta Brutale 1000RR motorcycle, and two luxury vans – Toyota Alphard.
The team temporarily placed padlocks and seals on the showroom and storage facility as a proper inventory will be conducted by the assigned Customs examiners in the presence of CIIS, Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), barangay officials, and storage representatives.
The owners, lessees, lessors, occupants, representatives, or any parties responsible for the warehouse and vehicles found have 15 days from the receipt of the LOAs to submit the necessary documents proving that all duties and taxes have been paid correctly.
If they fail to provide the necessary documentation, they will face charges in violation of Sections 1400 and 1401, in relation to Section 1113 of Republic Act 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
The BOC also seized P1.4 billion worth of smuggled luxury vehicles in Pasay City and Parañaque City on February 13.
Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio lauded the CIIS for its recent operations.
“The ability of our CIIS officers to conduct these back-to-back operations demonstrates not only their commitment to their mandate but also a new strategy for tackling smuggling,” Rubio said in a press release.
“Those involved should understand that our skills and capabilities extend beyond our borders. We will pursue them relentlessly, regardless of how or where they hide their contraband,” he added.
For his part, Deputy Commissioner for the Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy emphasized need to be more vigilant as smugglers become more brazen in their modus to circumvent the country’s customs and importation laws. —Anna Felicia Bajo/AOL, GMA Integrated News
