30 cases filed against suspected smugglers, licensed brokers

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed 30 cases against suspected smugglers who tried to sneak in nearly P400 million worth of imports in the first quarter of the year.

The agency said that the Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) lodged the lawsuits against erring traders and customs brokers for allegedly violating trading laws, rules and regulations.

A total of 24 criminal cases were filed against 73 individuals consisting of importers, exporters and customs brokers for breaking provisions of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

The bureau tasked to man the ports also filed six administrative cases against licensed customs brokers before the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

The criminal and administrative cases were raised before the authorities after the suspects were caught attempting to smuggle P356.1 million in goods.

Based on records, the individuals in question tried to sneak in P160.4 million in fake cigarettes and P131.4 million in agricultural products. They were also charged for smuggling P49.4 million in motor vehicles, P7.7 million in general merchandise, and P7.2 million in other commodities.

“The BOC remains committed in continuing the fight against smuggling by filing the appropriate cases against unscrupulous individuals,” the agency added.

The BOC is intensifying its anti-smuggling efforts in response to calls from various sectors, including Congress, to tighten up monitoring at the ports to stop tax leakages.

House ways and means chairman Joey Salceda scored the BOC last Tuesday for reportedly forfeiting billions in pesos to the entry of smuggled produce, particularly from China.

During a hearing, Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said the agency took possession of agricultural shipments worth P2 billion between 2019 and April 2022.

The agency filed at least 106 cases on 263 counts of violation against involved traders.

According to Guerrero, the complaints assessed a sum of P1.36 billion in duties and taxes that the respondents owe the government.

However, Salceda said the Philippines brought in $15.71 billion or about P82 billion in agricultural imports last year alone.

Salceda asked if it is safe to assume that smuggling only makes up a portion of farm trade even as farmers nationwide are complaining that their products are losing value due to smuggling.

Due to intensified monitoring with import volumes picking up, the agency captured an all-time high of P28.43 billion in smuggled goods in 2021 from P10.63 billion in 2020.