Smuggled liquor, rice, scooters stopped at Subic Freeport
Published Jan 27, 2018 06:47 am
By Jonas Reyes
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT - The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) disclosed on Friday the seizure smuggled rice, liquor and scooters with a combined value of P80-million inside this premier Freeport.
BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapena and SBMA Chair Wilma Eisma presented to the media three shipments that were supposed to be smuggled out of the Freeport but were stopped by the two agencies.
BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapena (2nd left) and SBMA Chair Atty. Wilma Eisma (right) leads the unveiling of the smuggled rice worth P10 million inside the Port of Subic on Friday along with Subic BOC Collector Fidel Villanueva (left) and PITC President Dave Almarinez. (Jonas Reyes/MANILA BULLETIN)
The P80 million items consisted of P40 million smuggled liquors, P30 million worth of Vespa scooters and P10 million worth of smuggled rice.
The first shipment involved the importation of ten container vans of Thailand white rice, with an estimated value of P10 million, without the required import permit from the NFA. The consignee, the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) of DTI denied ownership of the consignment. PITC President Dave Almarinez said that their office is ready to fully cooperate for the immediate resolution of the case.
The second shipment included 18 Vespa scooters from Italy. Estimated to have a value of P30 million, the shipment was seized and was forfeited for gross undervaluation thru falsification of Import Documents, resulting in a discrepancy of more than 70 percent of the duties and taxes.
Eisma said that the third shipment involved the seized liquor by the SBMA valued at P40 million consisting of liquors from P3,000 per bottle Remy Martin XO to Louis XIII that costs P170,000 per bottle. A closed van tried to smuggle these expensive alcohols out of the Subic Bay Freeport on December 24.
"All the foregoing items are already being prepared for auction, more importantly for the perishable white rice and liquors in order to protect the interest of the government," Lapena said.
Lapena said that this is part of President Duterte's Five-Point Program for the BOC, adding that the importers of these items have made various violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016 and related laws.
Eisma meanwhile said that the SBMA is willing and eager to work with the BOC in stopping illegal activities in the Port of Subic. She added that there will be "No mercy" when it comes to smuggling in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
The first shipment involves the importation of ten container vans of Thailand white rice, with an estimated value of P10 million, without the required import permit from the NFA. The consignee, the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) of DTI denied ownership of the consignment. PITC President Dave Almarinez said that their office is ready to fully cooperate for the immediate disposition of the case.
The second shipment included 18 Vespa scooters from Italy. Estimated to have a value of P30 million, the shipment was seized and was forfeited for gross undervaluation thru falsification of Import Documents, resulting to a discrepancy of more than 70 percent of the duties and taxes.
Eisma said that the third shipment that was presented was the seized liquor by the SBMA valued at P40 million consisting of liquors from P3,000 per bottle Remy Martin XO to Louis XIII that costs P170,000 per bottle. A closed van tried to smuggle these expensive alcohols out of the Subic Bay Freeport on December 24.
"All the foregoing items are already being prepared for auction, more importantly for the perishable white rice and liquors in order to protect the interest of the government," Lapena said.
BOC Commissioner Isidro Lapena (2nd left) and SBMA Chair Atty. Wilma Eisma (right) leads the unveiling of the smuggled rice worth P10 million inside the Port of Subic on Friday along with Subic BOC Collector Fidel Villanueva (left) and PITC President Dave Almarinez. (Jonas Reyes/MANILA BULLETIN)
The P80 million items consisted of P40 million smuggled liquors, P30 million worth of Vespa scooters and P10 million worth of smuggled rice.
The first shipment involved the importation of ten container vans of Thailand white rice, with an estimated value of P10 million, without the required import permit from the NFA. The consignee, the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) of DTI denied ownership of the consignment. PITC President Dave Almarinez said that their office is ready to fully cooperate for the immediate resolution of the case.
The second shipment included 18 Vespa scooters from Italy. Estimated to have a value of P30 million, the shipment was seized and was forfeited for gross undervaluation thru falsification of Import Documents, resulting in a discrepancy of more than 70 percent of the duties and taxes.
Eisma said that the third shipment involved the seized liquor by the SBMA valued at P40 million consisting of liquors from P3,000 per bottle Remy Martin XO to Louis XIII that costs P170,000 per bottle. A closed van tried to smuggle these expensive alcohols out of the Subic Bay Freeport on December 24.
"All the foregoing items are already being prepared for auction, more importantly for the perishable white rice and liquors in order to protect the interest of the government," Lapena said.
Lapena said that this is part of President Duterte's Five-Point Program for the BOC, adding that the importers of these items have made various violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016 and related laws.
Eisma meanwhile said that the SBMA is willing and eager to work with the BOC in stopping illegal activities in the Port of Subic. She added that there will be "No mercy" when it comes to smuggling in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
The first shipment involves the importation of ten container vans of Thailand white rice, with an estimated value of P10 million, without the required import permit from the NFA. The consignee, the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) of DTI denied ownership of the consignment. PITC President Dave Almarinez said that their office is ready to fully cooperate for the immediate disposition of the case.
The second shipment included 18 Vespa scooters from Italy. Estimated to have a value of P30 million, the shipment was seized and was forfeited for gross undervaluation thru falsification of Import Documents, resulting to a discrepancy of more than 70 percent of the duties and taxes.
Eisma said that the third shipment that was presented was the seized liquor by the SBMA valued at P40 million consisting of liquors from P3,000 per bottle Remy Martin XO to Louis XIII that costs P170,000 per bottle. A closed van tried to smuggle these expensive alcohols out of the Subic Bay Freeport on December 24.
"All the foregoing items are already being prepared for auction, more importantly for the perishable white rice and liquors in order to protect the interest of the government," Lapena said.