PASG seizes P500-million diamonds

MANILA, Philippines - The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) raided a condominium unit in Pasig City last Wednesday and seized about half a billion pesos worth of diamonds, assorted jewelry and wrist watches believed to have been smuggled into the country from Hong Kong.

Undersecretary Antonio Villar, PASG chief, identified the owner of the jewelry as Alpha Kwok, whose three condominium units on the 17th floor of Pacific Place, Amethyst St., Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center in Pasig City were raided by PASG agents.

He said Kwok refused to give any statement and had four lawyers to defend her.

Kwok also tried to invite him and his men for coffee at a nearby Starbucks outlet to “discuss the case” and offered millions of pesos but he refused.

Villar said the case could cover other suspects as Kwok apparently had protectors as well as big-time customers. The PASG chief refused to disclose the names listed in a logbook seized from the suspect.

“She (Kwok) apparently is the sole supplier (of jewelry, precious stones and watches) of several stores in the National Capital Region,” Villar told a news briefing at the Palace.

He said records at the Bureau of Immigration showed that Kwok has no working visa and has been in and out of the country over 320 times since 1993.

“Imagine how much smuggled goods she has been bringing to the country,” he said.

Villar said the haul was so huge that private gemologists hired to conduct the inventory were still counting and appraising the jewelry yesterday since the work began round the clock on Monday.

As of press time, 160 carats of loose diamonds have been recorded while agents are still conducting an inventory of the other jewelry and precious metals, he said.

PASG Director for Intelligence Guillermo Francia said an agent, Police Officer 2 Florante Azur, received a report that Kwok was selling by the bulk jewelry and wrist watches from her condominium unit.

Azur befriended Kwok, who invited him to her condominium unit. She later showed him two vaults full of precious gems, jewelry and watches.

She confided to him that her gems are from Hong Kong and are sold lower than the local market prices as she was not paying Customs duties and taxes.

PASG agents secured a search warrant from Manila First Vice Executive Judge Cielito Mindaro-Grulla, he said.

Kwok also failed to produce barangay clearance, business license, and was not issuing the appropriate receipts in violation of the National Internal Revenue Code when PASG agents raided her condominium unit.

Villar said the PASG would file smuggling, tax evasion and plunder charges against Kwok before the Department of Justice today.

Francia said it was not yet clear how Kwok was smuggling in the items but when she tried to excuse herself to go out from the condominium, a body search was made in front of her lawyers and 10 diamond stones were found in her brassiere.

Villar said Customs officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport are probably protecting Kwok. 

He said he also put under investigation the PASG officers assigned at the airport. - With Perseus Echeminada