A hao-shiao, or fake Customs personnel, who was allegedly collecting grease money or tara at the Port of Manila has been nabbed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The suspect, identified as Xavier Daniele J. Gabriel, 19, from Sampaloc, Manila, was arrested after members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) currently detailed at BOC’s Intelligence Group, found a large amount of cash, deposit slips, and four passbooks inside his envelope—all under the name of one Renly Tiñana, alias “Empoy” —at the Port of Manila.
Gabriel, BOC said in a statement, was wearing an expired, dilapidated BOC ID that had been valid until March 1, 2019.
According to BOC’s Intelligence Division, Gabriel acted as the courier of Tiñana in delivering cash for bank deposits.
Starting May 27, BOC enhanced security measures inside its premises by doing random checks and inspections in line with the policy of the government to ensure safety and security in the workplace.
BOC said the interception is a testament to its reform initiatives and continued partnership with the AFP and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in ridding the agency of corruption.
BOC, PCG, and AFP in November last year signed a memorandum of agreement to have military and Coast Guard personnel detailed at the customs bureau to help in its anti-corruption and anti-smuggling drive.
The enhanced security “further bolsters the Bureau’s commitment to the President’s order to stop corruption and other illicit transactions within the Bureau,” BOC added.
