Customs o cial blames outdated x-ray machines for smuggled shabu

Blame the outdated x-ray machines not the Bureau of Customs personnel at the Port of Manila for the alleged entry of a ton of shabu contained in four magnetic lifters, a BOC official said yesterday.

The BOC official said customs personnel at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) were not remiss in their duties and only followed protocol when they allowed the shipment in.

“If they need someone or something to blame, it should be the outdated x-ray machines in BOC. This fiasco is all about the need to purchase state-of-the art x-ray machines and to strengthen cooperation among intelligence agencies in sharing information on illegal drugs to detect shipments of illegal drugs,” the BOC official said.

The shipment arrived at the MICP from Taiwan. It was consigned to SMYD Trading with address at 6th floor Suite 605-A Victoria Bldg. 429 UN Avenue, Manila with principal officer/manager Marina Signapan.

The shipment, with assessed duties and taxes amounting to P157,673, was tagged “Red” in the BOC’s Selectivity System. As a matter of procedure, it underwent x-ray inspection.

The x-ray results yielded “no suspect” or no suspicious image. It meant that the subject shipment was not required to be physically examined in accordance with Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña’s memorandum dated Sept. 26, 2017.

The memorandum states that “all shipments tagged ‘red’ are not required to undergo 100 percent x-ray inspection and only those with suspicious images shall forthwith be physically examined.”

“The BOC-MICP merely complied with the procedures set by the BOC in releasing and examining shipments. It can’t and should not be blamed for following BOC instructions,” the BOC official said.

During the inquiry of the House committee on dangerous drugs last week, it was learned that there were no illegal drugs present in the shipment.

President Duterte last week said the alleged entry of shabu was “pure speculation” because no shabu was found inside the magnetic lifters.

The BOC official also pointed out that the successful seizure of two magnetic lifters reportedly found with 355 kilograms of shabu with an estimated value of P2.4 billion at the MICP showed that BOC personnel are serious in helping the government’s fight against drug smuggling in the country.