Customs stumbles on syndicate behind release of alerted shipments
A syndicate possibly behind the release of alerted shipments from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has been uncovered following the discovery Thursday of 10 alerted container
vans of sugar which were cleared for releasing despite suspicions.
A 115-million shipment belonging to Don Trading was put on hold by the bureau after the Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña received an information that some containers have misdeclared sugar. Declared as refractory mortar, the 5,000 sacks of sugar were smuggled into the country allegedly by Don Trading.
Lapeña said the shipment was already recommended for lifting of alert order, however, when he received the document saying the shipment is cleared despite the intelligence report, he noticed that the signature is “purportedly forge.”
He then ordered the “re-examination of the shipment.” It turned out that the prior information was true that the container vans contained sugar. This bolstered the suspicion of the commissioner that the syndicate he has been hunting has finally surfaced.
“I think I had discovered a syndicate in this. This is a significant portion because pinapalusot nila, pinapalitaw na okay ‘yang mga shipment na ‘yan well in fact hindi pala (they allow its release and make it appear that the shipment was okay but in fact it is not),” Lapeña said.
“And I will be making some people answer for this violation of law,” he added, saying a full-blown investigation will immediately be launched to finally identify this notorious syndicate inside the bureau.
Modus uncovered Lapeña said that the 10 container vans under Don Trading were among the 28 container vans alerted and subjected to re-examination at the Manila International Container Port (MICP). The 10 containers, he said, were alerted following information that sugar was inside the cargoes.
The shipment came from Thailand and arrived on July 13. The signing broker was named Ameloden Buruan Riga of Quiapo, Manila, and the company, Don Trading, is allegedly owned by a certain Dennis Orlanda Narra of Unit 411 4F La Maja Building, 459 Legaspi St., Intramuros, Manila.
The shipment went through customs cargo and was eventually cleared for release. A recommendation for release was sent to Lapena for his approval but the suspicion started here.
“I have information that these container vans contain sugar but declared otherwise that's why I ordered the alert order. In order for the alerted shipment to be released, there should be a lifting of the alert order signed by me but before I will do that they (MICP) should recommend to me that everything is in order – meaning the information I received was false,” Lapeña narrated.
The Customs personnel in charge of the examination, according to Lapeña, submitted a report different from what was found during the re-examination Thursday.
“So, when I saw the recommendation, I decided, especially the recommendation was not signed by the collector himself, it was signed by the deputy, to re-examine because I want the collector be the one signing. Although if the collector is busy, he can have the deputy sign for him but that made me suspect so it turned out like this and we discovered this modus,” Lapeña added.
Lapeña also bared that he did not recognize the signature on the recommendation document, suspecting that it is fake. He said he became suspicious right away because he knows the signature of every district collector in the bureau.
Full-blown probe
“I am now ordering the investigation of all involved Customs personnel, the consignee, and Customs broker involved in these misdeclared shipments. Smuggling cases will be filed after the investigation.
Initially, seven Customs personnel from the customs examiner, customs appraiser, the person who signed in behalf of the district collector, and other BOC personnel involved in the modus, will be investigated. As of press time, administrative relief has been ordered over these personnel pending investigation.
Lapeña, however, refused to confirm if this syndicate was also the one behind the shipments of magnetic lifters containing over 300 kilos of shabu. He just emphasized that the “discovery of the modus is a very good development in the reforms of the agency.”
A warrant of seizure and detention will be issued after the conduct of 100 percent examination of the customs authorities for violation of Section Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification, Undervaluation in Goods Declaration) in relation to Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) of the CMTA.
The owner and the customs broker will also face criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
“I believe this importer is part of a cartel who holds the smuggled sugar and will only release the commodity once the market prices are high. One of the reasons the prices of the basic commodities are high because the prices are manipulated,” Lapeña said.