BOC INTERCEPTS SMUGGLED FULLY BUILT CARS FROM US

THE Bureau of Custom-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Services (BOC-CIIS) has intercepted two shipments at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) from the United States containing 12 smuggled motor vehicles.

BOC-CIIS Director Verne Enciso said that the shipments were misdeclared as assorted car accessories and supplies but were found to actually contain fully built motor vehicles of various brands worth several millions of pesos.

"The X-ray imaging on-site revealed that the shipments, which were declared to contain assorted car accessories and supplies, actually have 12 motor vehicles inside. That led to a request for an issuance of alert order so the CIIS-MICP can conduct a thorough 100-percent physical examination of the containers," added Enciso.

The two shipments contained one unit of 1996 Acura Integra, three units of 1998 Honda Civic, one unit of 1999 Honda Civic, four units of 2000 Honda Civic, one unit of 2002 Honda S2000, one unit of 2004 Honda S2000, and one unit of 2007 Mini Cooper S.

The shipments were consigned to Danesh Consumer Goods Trading from the United States.

Assistant Commissioner and concurrent BOC spokesman Vincent Philip Maronilla said the shipment was seized for violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) in relation to Section 3 of Executive Order 156 prohibiting the importation of used motor vehicles.

"This is prima facie evidence of misdeclaration. We will issue a warrant of seizure and detention for the smuggled motor vehicles," Maronilla added.

The cars are now in the custody of the MICP for further examination and evaluation.

Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio said that the groups and individuals behind the smuggling operation will face the full extent of the law.

"These are in clear violation of Section 1400 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The bureau will file the appropriate cases and make sure that these organizations will be held responsible. The BOC is not beating around the bush. We have an all-hands-on-deck approach and we are ready to use all our resources — both technical and technology — to get to the bottom of these smuggling activities," Rubio said.

2025-06-09T16:25:06Z