By Betheena Unite
Instead of forklift and other household goods, a used Bentley car worth about P12 million was found inside a shipment from Japan early this week.
(BOC / MANILA BULLETIN)
The luxury car was hidden behind a Hino truck with crane, Manila International Container Port District (MICP) Collector Sandino Austria said as they presented the intercepted shipment to the media Thursday.
The shipment arrived at the port in December 2018 but was alerted due to misdeclaration.
The consignee declared the shipment as used forklift, used diesel engine and other household goods, however, x-ray examination showed otherwise.
It was then subjected to 100-percent physical examination, leading to the discovery of a used Bentley Continental GT.
“Very visible siya sa ating (It is very visible in the) x-ray images that there is a vehicle on top of this truck but when you open the container, hindi po talaga siya makikita (you cannot really see it) because there are some equipment at the front part of the container so that is why, we concluded that that was a method to conceal, which makes the entire shipment liable for violations of the provision of the CMTA (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act),” Austria said.
Records from the MICP showed that the shipment was consigned to Pulilan Motors Truck Rebuilding which is owned by a certain Agustin Mariano Esguerra, of 220 Esguerra Street, Balatong B, Pulilan, Bulacan.
A warrant of seizure and detention against the shipment was issued on Wednesday, Austria said. He added that they are already looking at the other pending shipments of the consignee.
“We have already traced back all their current transactions, including their pending entries and we will be opening them as soon as the period for filing of the goods declaration lapses,” the collector said.
The owner and the customs broker will also face criminal raps for violation of Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification, Undervaluation in Goods Declaration) in relation to Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) of the CMTA.
The Customs accreditation of the consignee and the customs broker involved in the incident will also be revoked immediately, Austria said.
(BOC / MANILA BULLETIN)
The luxury car was hidden behind a Hino truck with crane, Manila International Container Port District (MICP) Collector Sandino Austria said as they presented the intercepted shipment to the media Thursday.
The shipment arrived at the port in December 2018 but was alerted due to misdeclaration.
The consignee declared the shipment as used forklift, used diesel engine and other household goods, however, x-ray examination showed otherwise.
It was then subjected to 100-percent physical examination, leading to the discovery of a used Bentley Continental GT.
“Very visible siya sa ating (It is very visible in the) x-ray images that there is a vehicle on top of this truck but when you open the container, hindi po talaga siya makikita (you cannot really see it) because there are some equipment at the front part of the container so that is why, we concluded that that was a method to conceal, which makes the entire shipment liable for violations of the provision of the CMTA (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act),” Austria said.
Records from the MICP showed that the shipment was consigned to Pulilan Motors Truck Rebuilding which is owned by a certain Agustin Mariano Esguerra, of 220 Esguerra Street, Balatong B, Pulilan, Bulacan.
A warrant of seizure and detention against the shipment was issued on Wednesday, Austria said. He added that they are already looking at the other pending shipments of the consignee.
“We have already traced back all their current transactions, including their pending entries and we will be opening them as soon as the period for filing of the goods declaration lapses,” the collector said.
The owner and the customs broker will also face criminal raps for violation of Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification, Undervaluation in Goods Declaration) in relation to Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) of the CMTA.
The Customs accreditation of the consignee and the customs broker involved in the incident will also be revoked immediately, Austria said.