Another ‘viral’ sports car surrendered to BOC

MANILA, Philippines — Weeks after their images went viral on social media, the second of two P165-million luxury sports cars – suspected to have been smuggled into the country – was surrendered to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) yesterday.

Through legal representative Michael Mosquite, the registered owner of the blue Bugatti Chiron with license plate NIM 5448, Thu Trang Nguyen, surrendered the vehicle to the BOC’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) less than two weeks after the BOC issued Nguyen a warning.

“The fact that the mission took barely three weeks speaks of the hard work and commitment we put into this since we appealed to the public to help us find these motor vehicles,” BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said.

BOC-CIIS director Verne Enciso said that their team coordinated with Ayala Alabang Village officials in Muntinlupa and its security officers before proceeding to the location of the vehicle.

Mosquite received a warrant of seizure and detention before the blue Bugatti Chiron was loaded onto a low bed truck bound for the BOC-Port of Manila.

“We (had) warned the owner of this blue sports car that we would find him and make him accountable. We’re glad he came to his senses and surrendered willingly to the bureau because we don’t plan on letting up anytime soon or ever,” Enciso said.

Despite surrendering the car, the owner would still face charges of violating Section 1401 in relation to Section 1113 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

Authorities intensified the search for the blue Bugatti Chiron after a red Bugatti Chiron, with license plate NIM 5450 and registered to a certain Menguin Zhu, was surrendered to the bureau on Feb. 9.

The existence of the two sports cars were made public after the BOC-CIIS appealed for help in locating the vehicles, which were suspected to have been imported without proper documentation. The cars were reportedly seen around the cities of Pasay, Pasig, Muntinlupa and Cavite.

Meanwhile, the German-led joint venture that established the Land Transportation Office’s Land Transportation Management System, Dermalog Identification Systems-Holy Family Printing Corp.-Microgenesis Business Systems or Dermalog JV, said that the two vehicles were not registered with the LTO through the LTMS.

Video clips showing the two Bugattis racing along roads in Pasay, Pasig, Muntinlupa and Cavite went viral on social media.

The LTO has allowed the parallel operation of the old LTO IT system operated by Stradcom Corp. despite the procurement and delivery of the LTMS in August 2019.

This has allowed the registration and renewal of motor vehicles, and issuance and renewal of driver’s licenses outside the LTMS. – Rainier Allan Ronda