Customs seizes P10.5M worth of smuggled fuel

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) has confiscated some P10.5 million worth of smuggled fuel from a gasoline station in Bataan province after its fuel marking test yielded “failed” results.

The raiding team, led by operatives from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP), seized a total of 3,100 liters of smuggled fuel from the V Fuel Gasoline Station and Compound located along Roman Super Highways in Barangay Mabatang, Abucay, Bataan.

Fuel marking is required under the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended by Republic Act (RA) 10963, otherwise known as the “Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law,” and Department of Finance (DoF)BoC-Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Joint Circular.

The operation proceeded by virtue of a Letter of Authority (LoA) issued by Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio. The raid was conducted on Tuesday, January 30.

“Our BoC officers did a phenomenal job in seizing these smuggled fuels and ensuring such unsafe products will not harm consumers. Operations like these will not only hopefully keep our borders safer, but it will also keep dangerous products out of our communities and deny these organizations from the revenue they would otherwise get,” Rubio said on Thursday.

In an after operations report to Rubio, BoC-CIIS Director Verne Enciso said that the team found and inspected 2,587 liters of diesel fuel, 3,134 liters of unleaded gasoline and 5,342 liters of premium gasoline.

“Our agents also entered the compound where they found 3,100 liters of the unmarked fuels stored in four tanks. These were later confirmed by the failed fuel mark test conducted by SGS Mobile Laboratory in Limay and the ESS Fuel Marking Team,” he explained, adding that the fuel with failed results were brought to the SGS Subic for confirmatory testing.

Enciso, however, noted that the fuels found in the gasoline station passed the fuel marking test conducted by SGS Mobile Laboratory-Subic and ESS Fuel Marking Team, but its owner is still required to present proof of payment of duties and taxes for the imported fuels.

Deputy Commissioner for Customs Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy said this latest operation won’t be possible without proper coordination with key agencies and authorities.

“This is all made possible by our hardworking team, who toiled day and night to make sure we force these people to face the law. They used multiple enforcement tools to conduct their inspections and this has led to the success of this operation,” he said.

If found without proper documents and necessary permits, the owners of the gasoline station and compound could face charges in violation of Sections 1401 and 1430 of the Customs Modernization and

Tariff Act (CMTA), Sections 148-A, 254, and 265-A of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended by the

Train Law.

WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL