Cell phones worth P15-M seized

Customs Commissioner Titus Villanueva led officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport yesterday in foiling an attempt to smuggle P15 million worth of new and expensive cellular phones from Hongkong.

Villanueva said that his timely arrival with NAIA Customs officials headed by Collector Celso Templo prevented the release of the cellular phones in 24 crates to the consignee identified as Microtune RF-Technologies (Phils.) Inc. with business address in Taguig, Metro-Manila.

Esmeralda Saplala, Customs police chief at the NAIA, had earlier alerted Villanueva and Templo of the arrival of the shipment following positive information that the shipment would contain smuggled cellular phones from Hong Kong.

"The shipment of Nokia 8210, 7150 and 6210 was declared as semi-conductor spare parts to avoid payment of taxes as the declared items have almost zero tax, indicating that the attempt was "outright smuggling," Templo said.

Villanueva ordered Templo to seize the shipment on the spot and to blacklist the consignee and the broker identified as MT Lualhati Brokerage for alleged smuggling. However, the consignee denied owning the shipment.

The new Customs chief also expressed apprehension for increased smuggling activities as shown by numerous seizures conducted by the office of Deputy Commissioner Ray Allas at the Manila International Container Port in North Harbor.

Villanueva said that since he took over two weeks ago, the bureau has already seized some P90 million worth of contraband items.

He also said he is determined to contain smuggling at the Customs zones at all costs, adding that "this is the only way to achieve his policy of leveling the playing field at the Bureau of Customs.

Meanwhile, operatives of the Western Police District (WPD) arrested two more cellular phone snatchers in an entrapment operation after they demanded cash from the owner of the telephone, which they have earlier stolen from its owner in Malate, Manila.

The victim is a staff member of Sen. Ramon Magsaysay.

Utility worker Joel Dugayo, 27, alias Richard Valenzuela, and electrician Ponce Dagting, 27, were collared by operatives of the WPD-General Assignment Section (GAS) after a brief chase from the entrapment site in Malate, Manila.

In a report of Senior Police Officer 3 Enrico Palomar, the suspects were arrested Sunday at the corner of Ocampo and Taft Avenues outside a fastfood restaurant. The two tried to flee upon noticing that several men were beginning to encircle them.

The victim, Analiza Umpacan, 30, was earlier robbed at knifepoint by the suspects at the Harrison Plaza shopping complex also in Malate, while she was waiting for a ride to Quiapo.

Gathering her nerve, Umpacan then called her mobile phone and Dugayo responded identifying himself as Richard Valenzuela. Dugayo then demanded a ransom of P3,500 in exchange for the return of her phone.

The suspects initially wanted to meet her somewhere in Parañaque, but she managed to convince them to instead conduct the deal in Malate. By this time, the victim had reported the matter to the WPD-GAS under Chief Inspector Arturo Paglinawan.

The robbers, however, failed to arrived at the designated meeting site inside a Malate fastfood restaurant. A few minutes after, the operatives, along with Umpacan decided to look around with the hope of spotting the suspects.

Fortunately, the victim spotted the suspects who were even using the stolen phone. – Jose Aravilla