Firm, owner, Customs broker face rice smuggling raps

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed criminal complaints for violation of various laws against a firm for rice smuggling.

The complaints were filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Seven Myth Marketing, including its owner Leoncio Victor Mangubat and Customs broker Mary Faith Miro for allegedly smuggling into the country over 7,000 sacks of rice.

The BOC said Seven Myth is accused of having violated Section 1400 (misdeclaration, misclassification, undervaluation in good declaration), in relation to Section 1401 (unlawful importation or exportation) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA); economic sabotage for largescale agricultural smuggling under the CMTA; and Article 172 in relation to Article 171 (falsification by private individuals and use of falsified documents) of the Revised Penal Code.

Seven Myth brought into the

country two shipments from China, which the consignee declared as ceramic tiles but turned out to be rice. The shipments arrived at the Port of Cebu on November 27 and 29 last year.

The shipments were discovered to contain 7,150 sacks of 50 kilograms Sinandomeng Aguila and Sinandomeng Mayon rice with estimated duties and taxes of 110,013,503.50.

The BOC noted that among the 15 containers that arrived, only one contained ceramic tiles.

After the shipments were alerted on December 7, 2017, based on the derogatory information received by the BOC, these were subsequently seized on December 13, 2017.

Apart from Seven Myth, the BOC also filed last Monday before the DOJ a criminal complaint against Granstar Premier Sports Corporation.

Granstar as well as its owners and brokers were charged with violation of Sections 2503 (undervaluation, misclassification, misdeclaration in entry), 3602 (various fraudulent practices against Customs revenue), 3601 (unlawful importation) of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP); and Article 172 (falsification by private individuals and use of falsified documents) of the Revised Penal Code.

The case stemmed from Granstar’s alleged shipments of 112 units of brandnew Vespa scooters which originated from Singapore and arrived at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The BOC noted that the shipment’s total declared value of $50,400 or 12,504,128 of imported goods was considerably lower compared to the $3,448.24 per unit of actual value of the goods.