Four shipments of fake or misdeclared goods from China worth P17.5 million have been seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Manila.
Commissioner Isidro Lapeña led the inspection December 6 of four shipments containing fake Casio G-shock watches, shoes, rice, used clothing, two pieces of heavy equipment, and other general merchandise.
All four shipments violated various provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), Lapeña said in a statement.
A shipment consigned to ACC Trading with office address at 1600 Juan Luna corner Tello St., Tondo, Manila was declared as containing resin but was found instead to contain two pallets of rice as well as large picture frames. Rolando Quingquing Marfil acted as the customs broker of ACC Trading.
Fake Casio G-shock watches and fake shoes were uncovered by customs agents in the shipment of Alcambaras Trading Corporation, with office address at 6-B Matimyas House, 1688 M.H. Del Pilar St., Malate, Manila. Declared as holding handicraft paper decoration, the shipment was reportedly processed by customs broker Manolet Camaclang.
Another shipment consigned to Melwinjay Trading, with office address at Rm. 418C, First United Bldg., Escolta St., Binondo, Manila, was seized by BOC after used clothing were found mixed in with declared bed linen. Melwinjay hired Samuel Perez as their customs broker.
Two misdeclared pieces of heavy equipment were also seized by the bureau after x-ray inspection produced an image different from the machinery parts and accessories declared by Pricewater Trading, with office address at 3F RJV Building National Highway, Biñan, Laguna. The shipment was processed by customs broker Samson Rivas Gabisan.
“Melwinjay’s and Pricewater’s misdeclaration was found out during x-ray examination while an alert order was issued by the district collector on ACC and Alcambaras,” Lapeña said.
The customs chief said the consignees violated Section 1400 of the CMTA, as well as the Intellectual Property Law, and R.A. No. 4653, which prohibits the importation of used clothing.
The Law Division will be doing an investigation of the seized misdeclared goods to know the extent of the suspects’ liabilities to the bureau, Port of Manila district collector Atty. Ernelito Aquino said.
Lapeña, meanwhile, lauded the efforts of Aquino and X-ray Inspection Project Head Atty. Zsae Carrie de Guzman for the successful apprehension of the shipments.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
