Customs seizes 500 tires at Manila port

Bureau of Customs (BOC) agents on Tuesday seized smuggled tires worth P8 million at the Manila International Container Port.

According to a Balitanghali interview by Jun Veneracion, around 500 new and used tires from Japan were confiscated from two containers.

The said shipment was declared as used truck replacement parts and used aluminum siding, the report noted.

Meanwhile, other misdeclared goods such as cellphones, laptops and chemicals were discovered by the BOC in another container.

Aside from smuggling activities, the BOC is also addressing the problem of unused containers, which may later result in port congestion.

The MICP is one of the biggest ports of the BOC. According to the agency, there are around 10,000 to 12,000 vacant containers at the MICP.

Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said the unused containers may only stay in the port for only a maximum of three months. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News