The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed smuggling-related cases against an importer and several individuals for allegedly bringing in illegally P13.6 million worth of refined sugar.
On September 9, BOC filed charges with the Department of Justice against Kevin Castro, owner and proprietor of Binondo-based Real Top Enterprises, the company’s licensed customs broker Jerwin Torreon, and several still unidentified persons who supposedly facilitated or financed the smuggling activities.
The cases involved 10 forty-foot equivalent units of shipments that arrived from Shanghai, China at the Manila International Container Port in May and were declared to contain school bags, school supplies, toys, scooters, skipping ropes, notebooks, plastic folders and envelopes, pencil cases, lunch boxes, plastic bottles, and wraps.
The respondents were charged with violation of Sugar Regulatory Administration Rules and Regulations Joint Memorandum Order 4002. They were also slapped charges of violating the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines under Section 3601, or Unlawful Importation; Section 3602 for various fraudulent practices against customs revenue; and Section 2503, or Undervaluation, Misclassification and Misdeclaration in Entry.
The respondents also face charges of violating Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code, or falsification by private individuals and use of falsified documents.
“I am warning all importers and traders not to even think about smuggling. The BOC will relentlessly pursue legal action against all those involved in smuggling. It will no longer be business as usual,” Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina said.
The charges bring to 210 the total number of smuggling cases that BOC has filed with the justice department during the Aquino administration.
