SEIZED. Customs bureau officials sort out seized items at the Mindanao International Container Terminal (MICT) in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental yesterday. Officials say three vintage cars, used clothings, bed sheets and frozen meet from South Korea, The Netherlands, France and the US estimated to worth P19 million were confiscated. (PHOTO BY LITO RULONA)
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By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) yesterday seized some P19 million worth of vintage cars, frozen meat and used clothings at the Mindanao International Container Terminal (MICT) in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

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The Anti-Smuggling and Anti-Corruption Team of the customs bureau in northern Mindanao said the goods, in five container vans, include three vintage cars, used clothings and frozen meat from South Korea, The Netherlands, France and the US.

Lawyer Ruby Alameda, the district collector, ordered the confiscation for public auction.

“This port is relentless in its effort against smuggling of goods. This is final and executory. We seized all these in favor of the government,” Alameda said.

Alameda said consignees were identified: Gamma Gray Marketing (one container van), UML Farm Trading and Marketing Corp.  (three container vans) with the address Room 501, 5th Floor Champ Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, Anda Circle, Metro Manila, Function Trading of No. 2, Apollo St. Barangay 198, Earoville, Pasay City, and Rudolf Golez.

Alameda said at least two container vans were full of used clothings, blankets, bed sheets, curtains and pillow cases from South Korea. These were estimated to amount to P5 million. The consignee is Gamma Gray Marketing and Function Trading. Alameda said these would be torn into shreds soon.

Two other container vans were full of frozen meat, specifically, pork bellies and fat from the Netherlands and France estimated to be worth P10 million.

Alameda said the frozen meat products that showed signs of spoilage. The meats were consigned to UML Farm.

Officials said the company is facing charges for violation of the Food Safety Act of 2013.

Alameda said another container van contained three vintage cars from the US–a 1979 Porsche and two 1970 Mercedez Benzes. Authorities have yet to see a permit for these vehicles. Based on BOC records, Golez is the consignee.

Alvin Enciso, BOC intelligence unit chief here, said the seizure was a result of an order for the district offices to create anti-smuggling and anti-corruption teams to crack down on smuggling and those who misdeclare cargoes and their values.

“Aside from smuggled goods, the team is also tracking down corrupt customs officials. The confiscation of the five container vans is just the start of the team’s operations,” Enciso said.

Enciso said they were closely monitoring the operations of four ports of entry in northern Mindanao: the Macabalan port, the Ozamiz port, the Iligan port and the MICT in Tagoloan town.

“Whether it’s undervalued or misdeclared, we will confiscate. This is a warning to all smugglers, corrupt officials and corrupt brokers so they would not to use northern Mindanao as their port of entry,” he said.

Enciso said the BOC has so far seized some P1.2 billion worth of smuggled goods like sugar, rice, used clothings, personal effects, motorcycles and cars since last year.

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