The hunt for the blue Bugatti Chiron sports car ended today after the owner turned over the alleged smuggled luxury vehicle to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) after weeks of searching.
The BOC said the sports car was surrendered to the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) agents, together with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Muntinlupa City on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
This surrender came less than two weeks after the BOC issued a warning to the registered owner of the blue sports car.
“Today, we are happy to report that the blue Bugatti sports car we’ve been looking for was finally surrendered to the BOC. The fact that the mission took barely three weeks speaks of the hard work and commitment we put into this since we appealed to the public to help us find these motor vehicles,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said.
BOC-CIIS Director Verne Enciso said that the team coordinated with the village officials and its security officers before proceeding to the location of the smuggled vehicle.
The Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) was then received by Michael Mosquite, owner’s representative, before the luxury car was loaded onto a low bed truck bound for the BOC-Port of Manila.
“We warned the owner of this blue sports car that we will find him and make him accountable. We’re glad he came to his senses and surrendered willingly to the bureau because we don’t plan on letting up anytime soon or ever,” he stressed.
Over the weeks, the NBI and the PNP coordinated with the BOC to help in the search for the blue Bugatti Chiron sports car.
The search was significantly intensified after the surrender of the red Bugatti Chiron sports car last Feb. 9, also in Muntinlupa City.
Public appeal to find the two smuggled luxury cars—worth P165 million each without customs duties and taxes—came on Feb. 3, after these were seen around the cities of Pasay, Pasig, Muntinlupa, and Cavite province.
Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy lauded the coordination between key government agencies, as well as the media, for its role in disseminating information to the public.
“Our collective efforts have dealt a significant blow to the attempts of these two individuals to abuse and circumvent our laws and capitalize on their power and money. We remain steadfast in our commitment not only to protect our borders but also to go after nefarious individuals and organizations who want to make a mockery of the very laws that make us a progressive society,” he said.
Despite surrendering the car, the owners will still face charges for violating Section 1401 in relation to Section 1113 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).