The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has slapped charges of smuggling against importers that brought in various branded medicines and printing equipment in the country in August 2020.
The agency bared in a statement Monday, March 15 that it filed the criminal charges last March 12 before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Facilitating the filing of the cases were the bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) together with personnel from the Port of Manila and Manila International Container Port.
Rapped were F.E.R.N Freight Enterprises and its customs broker for the alleged unlawful importation and misdeclaration of various branded medicines and ointments with a total value of P20,346,072.45 on August 15, 2020 at the Manila International Container Port.
Another case was filed against Primeace Corporation and its customs broker for the alleged misdeclaration and illegal importation of various printing equipment and materials costing P2,062,475.14 on August 1, 2020 at the Port of Manila.
The importers and their customs broker allegedly violated Republic Act (RA) No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), Food and Drug Administration Act (FDA) Administrative Order 2016-0003 in relation to Sections 10 and 11 of the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009, and Article 172 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended.
Administrative cases will also be filed before the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) against the involved customs brokers. They were not identified by BOC.