Smuggled vehicles seized in Subic

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — At least P25 million worth of smuggled vehicles, including three brand new BMW X5s loaded in six container vans, were seized yesterday by Task Force Anti-Smuggling at the Subic Freeport.

Reports said the 17 vehicles confiscated were discovered inside vans abandoned in a courtyard in Subic.

The report said SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga accompanied Gen. Jose Calimlim, head of the task force, in supervising the opening of six container vans, which were mostly abandoned by consignees using fictitious names.

In his report, Calimlim said his intelligence agents thought there was something suspicious about the importation of chemicals from Taiwan for the manufacture of polyester and plastics, considering that there were no such companies engaged in the business inside the Subic Bay Freeport.

The company president told the task force that the shipment had never been on their importation schedule records.

Suspicious about the shipment, Calimlim reportedly ordered the opening of one of the vans and found the three BMW X5s.

The discovery prompted the task force to open the five other container vans which yielded three Japanese-made vans, seven Kia and Hyundai cars smuggled from Korea, four pick-ups also from Korea and several motorcycles which still had to be inventoried.

Most of the shipments had been consigned to Subic Acropolic Inc., which had once been suspended by SBMA for suspected involvement in smuggling.

Calimlim estimated the value of the total haul to reach P25 million. Salonga said the smuggled vehicles will be forfeited in favor of the government and will be auctioned off. — With Bebot Sison Jr.