85 of 105 missing containers found in Bulacan warehouses

MEYCAUAYAN, Bulacan – Eighty-five of the 105 shipping containers that were pulled out from the Asian Terminal Inc. (ATI) container yard without Customs authorization several days ago were found in a warehouse in this town.

The Bureau of Customs had already found 32 containers at another warehouse in Sterling Industrial Park in Barangay Libtong last Monday, the Bulacan police said Tuesday.

Senior Supt. Romeo M. Caramat Jr., Bulacan police chief, said a team from Customs led by Commissioner Isidro Lapeña and Deputy Commissioner coordinated with the city police in inspected the warehouses.

The containers were laden with a shipment of ceramic tiles from China.

Customs agents and police officers secured the warehouses to prevent the containers from being sneaked out.

Lapeña ordered the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) to dig deeper and find out how the shipment was spirited out of the ATI container yard and determine who are responsible.

Last March 17, the Office of the District Collector found that 103 containers were illegally released without clearance. Two containers were apprehended before it was able to leave the terminal.

The shipment was reportedly subject to 100-percent physical examination, and only the office of Lapeña can authorize its release.

The CIIS is focusing its inquiry on the Customs and ATI personnel who facilitated the release of the containers.