The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized on April 24 a 40-foot container at the Port of Manila after X-ray machines revealed a backhoe and forklift misdeclared as carbon wire.
A BOC statement said the items arrived from China on April 17.
The owner of Upairi Trading, the cargo consignee, and the company’s customs broker could face charges for allegedly smuggling the shipment into the country, said BOC Enforcement Group deputy commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno.
“The shipment will be subjected to a thorough examination so we can get more information about its content,” Nepumuceno said.
“We recommended the issuance of a Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) against Upairi Trading for possible violation of Section 1400 and Sec. 1401 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016 (CMTA),” he added.
Section 1401 (e) of the CMTA states that the penalty for misdeclaration is imprisonment of not less than six years and one day but not more than 12 years, or a fine of not less than P1.5 million but not more than P15 million, or both, if the appraised value of the goods unlawfully imported, including duties and taxes, exceeds P5 million but not more than P50 million.
