The Bureau of Customs has seized a foreign vessel for illegal entry into the country.
BOC personnel, along with operatives of the Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), seized MV Long Xiang 8 after its arrival at the Port of Manila on September 28.
“The vessel was not in the manifest-waybill, and it has no corresponding import declaration entry filed with the BOC by the ship owner or agent,” the BOC said in a statement released on Monday, Oct. 4.
Based on the investigation, the vessel arrived at the Port of Manila from the Port of Iloilo through its carrying vessel M/V AAL KOBE.
Aside from its non-inclusion in the manifest-waybill and no import declaration entry, the BOC also found out that the vessel already used a fake name identified as YUE XIN HE 813 to avoid detection during voyages.
The vessel’s name, as reported by the BOC-QRT and WPD personnel who made the inspection, had also been covered with white paint.
The seized vessel is currently anchored in the Manila Bay area.