154 containers illegally released from terminal
Atotal of 154 containers were illegally released at the Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) without paying customs duties and taxes and despite pending alert orders, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) revealed yesterday.
Customs commissioner Isidro Lapena said the 154 containers were released this year through a “swing operation” and a “release now, file later” scheme, which deprived the bureau of hundreds of millions of pesos in duties and taxes over a span of seven months.
Criminal cases have been filed against three alleged smugglers and one licensed customs broker involved in the “swing operations,” which is customs lingo for smuggling.
Lapena also ordered the relief of the acting port collector of the sub-port of MCT, the deputy collector for assessment, several personnel from the enforcement and security service and the xray inspection project chief.
Lapena said the swing modus operandi at the MCT was done using the pre-assessment BoC single administrative document (SAD) printout from the BoC’s value-added service provider, with a bogus stamp of “subject for x-ray” or “for transfer to MCTCCA (customs clearance area).”
MCT is a sub-port of the Port of Cagayan de Oro, located in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
Lapena said all 154 containers were not physically recovered or located but were identified through document backtracking. This enabled the bureau to identify the warehouses that received the missing containers.
The warehouses, all in Cagayan de Oro City, were identified as Jin Sing Warehouse in Purok 3, Gusa; Jin Sing Enterprise at HBL Building on the National Highway in Gusa; New Hope Warehouse at Alwana Compound in Cugman; Golden Rice Warehouse in Purok 4, Gusa, Galaxy Road; and Jin Sing Grocery on the National Highway in Cugman.
Charged by the BoC yesterday in connection with the missing containers were Mavs Trading owner Meljane B Mejos, JDan Trading owner Asrafani B Rig and General Success Merchandise owner Sherbet S Alazas, as well as their customs broker Raul M de Leon Jr.
Records showed that Mavs Trading illegally imported five container vans of onions and two container vans of used clothing in violation of customs laws. The total dutiable value of the shipments amounted to P1,604,577.50, with aggregate duties and taxes due the government at P809,579.
JDan Trading sneaked in 2,167 bags of sugar that were declared as pre-fabricated steel, in two container vans. The shipment was worth P4,891,990.32.
General Success Merchandise attempted to smuggle 2,316 bags of sugar that was declared as boiler casings, in four container vans. The shipment was worth P4,498,852.74, with aggregate duties and taxes due the government in the amount of P3,821,439.