2 Davao ‘ukay-ukay’ shops charged with smuggling
Two Davao-based companies were slapped with smuggling charges over the illegal importation of prohibited used clothing and rags worth R4 million, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Wednesday.
The Bureau of Customs- Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) of the Legal Service filed separate cases against the companies before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Violation of Section 1400 in relation to Section 1401 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, Republic Act 4653 or “An Act to Safeguard the Health of the People and Maintain the Dignity of the Nation by Declaring it a National Policy to Prohibit Commercial Importation of Textile Articles commonly known as Used Clothing and Rags”, and Section 172 of the Revised Penal Code were filed against G-Joyce Enterprises and Zainar General Merchandise.
Charged were BerkisNuh Abdu of Sasa, Davao City, owner of Zainar General Merchandise, and his customs brokers, Remar Ferniz Mansari and Asniel Mocaram Diamad, and owner of G-Joyce Enterprises, Griechelle Joyce Ballon Basio of Tagum City and his customs broker, Asniel Mocaram Diamad.
“Two counts of smuggling charges were filed against Zainar while one to G-Joyce for their attempt to smuggle ukay-ukay at Port of Davao,” Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena said.
According to Lapena, the cases stemmed from two separate shipments of used clothing from Korea and Malaysia in November 2017.
Two container vans of used clothings were consigned to Zainar General Merchandise. The shipment was declared as packages of blankets, bedsheets, pillowcases, carpets, and caps but was found to be used blankets, bedsheets, pillowcases, scarfs, socks, pants, jackets and shirts with a total value of R3,685,854.06 and total duties and taxes of R1,274,415.26.
An alert order was then issued against the shipments.
Another container van from Malaysia consigned to G-Joyce Enterprises was also placed under alert order due to misdeclaration. The shipment was declared to be containing bedsheets, bags, curtains, shoes, and pillowcases but was found to contain used clothing with a total value of R567,424.89 and total duties and taxes of R198,224.