The Philippines’ Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Anti-Smuggling Bureau (ASB) of the General Administration of China Customs recently started informal talks on initiatives and countermeasures against illicit trade in the Philippines and China.
Xiamen Customs ASB chief Quan Li led the courtesy call to BOC on June 20. Li was joined by members of the Xiamen Customs ASB, including deputy director of the First Investigation Xiang Yang Di, head of the Third Section of Gaoqui Airport Customs Xenchu Xu, Xhixing Wang, and Lingzhi Peng.
In a statement, BOC said the Chinese customs delegation expressed confidence that customs officials of both countries will double their efforts to establish more effective information sharing and intelligence work focused on anti-smuggling operations.
Customs officials also exchanged inputs on how to strengthen and improve communication strategies between the two countries to put a stop to international illicit trade.
Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon told the delegation that international cooperation is important in BOC’s continued campaign against smuggling.
“This renewed commitment of both China and Philippine customs to fight smuggling is a strong signal and warning to smugglers to rethink and stop their illegal trade,” Faeldon said.
The ASB earlier helped BOC carry out the recent seizure of shabu or methamphetamine in Valenzuela, the haul having an estimated street value of P6.4 billion. The raid was made after an intelligence report supplied by Zhang Xiaohui, director of the International Enforcement Cooperation Division of ASB.
BOC said that last year, together with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the bureau had teamed up with China’s Fujian Provincial Drug Law Enforcement Agency in taking a strong stance against the entry of prohibited drugs into the Philippines. The tie-up was made during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s four-day state visit to Beijing last October.
