A team composed of Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel said the 30 cases filed at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for 2018 has a total value of more than half a billion pesos.
The BoOC’s Bureau Action Team against Smugglers (Batas) said an aggregate value of the smuggled goods that are the subject of cases filed by bureau is P420 million with approximate duties and taxes amounting to P147 million.
Through Batas, Commissioner Isidro S. Lapeña filed before the DOJ last week five smuggling cases against importers and brokers of smuggled ukay-ukay (local parlance for used clothing), cigarettes and agricultural products.
“This is to show our unrelenting drive to run after the smugglers who are trying to cheat the government,” Lapeña said.
The smuggling cases were filed against JJTS International Trading, Gandar International Import and Export Trading, Proline Logistics Phils. Inc., ZJDP Trading and Paragon Platinum International Trading Corp. The cases alleged these firms violated the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, among others.