Smugglers having heyday at MEPZ

Smugglers are doing their unscrupulous trade at the expense of the good name of legitimate firms at the Mactan Export Processing Zone.

The alleged rice shipment, which arrived at the Cebu International Port last May 3 which came from Singapore, were put on alert by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service.

Based on the documents obtained by The Freeman, listed as consignees were Kakuyo Philippines Corp., M and Q Plastic Corp., IWG Philippines Inc. and three other non-MEPZ firms, Pacific Hardware Corp., Atlas Plastic Corp. and Multico Corp.

Alice Quiñones, M and Q Corp. administrative manager, said that ever since, have only sourced their materials from Japan and the US, but never from Singapore. "We import resin (a plastic raw material) from the US and no other country. The news that we are the consignee of that shipment is very shocking. That is not true," Quiñones said.

Kakuyo personnel manager Raul Contento also expressed surprise saying that they have never imported materials from Singapore.

Contento said they normally import from Hong Kong and Japan.

Ralph Miñoza, MEPZ II zone manager also said that his office did not use import permits to the three companies to import from Singapore.

"We hope that the Customs can really determine the real culprit. Our names were dragged and we hope this will never happen again," Quiñones said.

With this denial, Customs district collector Juan Tan said that as soon as he receives the official documents pertaining to the shipment, he will immediately order the opening of the vans

"The moment I have the official documents and with their denials, puede na nating buksan ang container vans," Tan said.

The 20 container vans came as part of a shipment of 90 container vans from Singapore. Seventy of the vans had claimants. Only the 20 vans suspected to contain smuggled rice remained unclaimed. If there will be no claimants, the shipment will be considered abandoned and will be forfeited in favor of the government. – The Freeman