By Betheena Unite
Car parts believed to be smuggled from China and then repacked bearing the names of Japanese car brands were uncovered in five warehouses during a raid in Quezon City, the Bureau of Customs said Saturday.
(Bureau of Customs PH OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE/ MANILA BULLETIN)
The suspected smuggled car parts from China worth P150 million were found in a store and five warehouses in Barangay Talipapa in Quezon City Friday afternoon, the bureau said.
Armed with a letter of authority and mission order, agents from the Customs bureau, Philippine Coast Guard, and National Bureau of Investigation raided the warehouses and two offices located along Quirino Highway around 12:30 p.m.
“The auto parts store and five warehouses were said to be owned by a certain Filipino-Chinese businessman,” the bureau said.
Found inside the warehouses were several and various spare parts, car accessories, truck parts, auto parts, and other items of known Japanese car manufacturers.
Also found in the compound were several packaging materials imprinted with “Made in Japan,” bolstering the bureau’s suspicion that the auto parts are sold as if the items were made by the Japan car manufacturers.
According to the bureau, repackaging inferior and substandard car parts and making them appear as Japanese brands is deceiving the Filipino buyers.
“During this time of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic when finances are tight for many Filipinos, they should still be able to purchase items of equal value with their hard-earned money,” the bureau said in a statement.