THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) is modifying its anti-oil smuggling campaign by using advance reports from its six accredited bulk cargo surveyors.
BOC said the use of fuel markings “has not been that successful”, Customs commissioner Angelito Alvarez said.
At the filing of another oil smuggling case last week, Alvarez said the bureau will use advance information from SGS, Cotecna, Intertek, Bureau Veritas, Inspectorate and Admiral Testing as basis to determine actual volume of oil shipments and to monitor the identity of persons involved in the importation.
All bulk cargo shipments require a port load survey report from any of the bulk cargo surveyors, submitted at least 12 hours before arrival of the incoming cargo. The report should contain the quantity, quality, grade, price and classification of the cargoes, port of loading, name of vessel, estimated time of departure from port of loading, bills of lading, surveyor’s seals details, ports of call of carrying vessel and additional testing results.
Covered under the program are commodities imported from other countries such as liquids, chemicals, petroleum products, dry cargo and other cargoes shipped in bulk or break-bulk.Bulk cargoes are in a mass of one commodity not packaged, bundled, bottled or cargoes which are loaded in volume directly into the vessel’s hold or cargo.
Oil smuggling charge
Last week, the BOC filed a second oil smuggling charge before the Department of Justice against a smaller operator supposedly used as a dummy by bigger oil importers.
BOC said the case against Cross Country Oil and Petroleum Corp was filed as its volume of importation was found to have been way beyond its capital.
From March 2009 to September 2010, the company imported about P8.5 billion worth of petroleum products when its capital was only P3 million.
Cross Country imports crude oil stored at the Oilink Terminal in Bataan. A few weeks ago, BOC also filed oil smuggling charges against Oilink.
Charged before the DOJ were Cross Country general manager Arturo Marcelino Zapata and broker Alleli Avila Arellano as well as Samuel Mora, duties and value-added tax refund representative of the company, and customs broker Jerome Canada, including several John and Jane Does.
BOC said the respondents misused their accreditation and allowed themselves to be used as dummies in violation of the Customs and Tariff Code of the Philippines.
