Officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have been holding meetings with the police’s Highway Patrol Group (HPG) amid the ongoing investigation into the questionable wealth of contractors on government’s flood control projects.

While HPG officials would not disclose the topics of the meetings, one of the agenda appeared to be in relation with the ownership of imported luxury and sports cars of persons identified with the alleged anomalous flood control projects.

In an interview on Thursday, Sept. 4, HPG spokesperson Lt. Nadame Malang said the BOC sought the assistance of the HPG in the conduct of file verification of the luxury vehicles of couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya.

“The BOC asked us to verify eight of the 12 luxury vehicles,” said Malang, referring to the 12 luxury cars inspected by BOC agents at the garage of the Discayas in Pasig City.

“We already complied by submitting our validation report to the BOC. It’s up to the BOC to assess our verification for its future action,” said Malang.

Malang said there is no formal request from the BOC to check the other vehicles of the Discayas and other contractors but confirmed the meetings between the PNP and BOC officials.

The meeting appeared to be in relation to the authority of the HPG to inspect and verify all the imported vehicles entering the country before they are allowed to be registered at the Land Transportation Office.

Among the data that HPG is mandated to do is to report the details of the importation and ownership of imported vehicles.

In the case of the eight luxury vehicles of the Discayas that the BOC wants to be verified by the HPG, Malang said the data they submitted include the type of vehicles, country of origin, motor vehicle file number and the registered owner.

Malang would not reveal the data they submitted to the BOC, saying it is up to the latter to assess and disclose them to the public.