Customs finds 50 container vans in Caloocan City warehouse

Bureau of Customs (BoC) operatives found 50 container vans in a Caloocan City warehouse Friday, which the bureau believes are part of the 1,910 transshipment vans missing since May. The 50 container vans are loaded with rice and sugar valued between P40 million and P50 million, said Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez, who also noted the warehouse is located at No. 63 C3 Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City. The bureau is now trying to find out if proper duties and taxes estimated at P20 million were paid and if the shipments had import permits. Alvarez commended Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) Intelligence Division head Col. Joey Yuchongco for tracking down the container vans. “I instructed Yuchongco to look for the records (of the 1,910 container vans) to know the trucking company used, the plate number of the truck and the name of the driver," said Alvarez. The rice would be stored at a National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse while the bureau is coordinating with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on what to do with the sugar, according to the Customs chief. First transshipment related case The missing cargo vans were part of the 2,219 containers transshipped by three importers. However, only 309 were received by the Batangas District Office, and the bureau said that signatures attesting to the 1,910 vans that made it to the Batangas Port were fabricated. On Aug. 25, the bureau filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) its first transshipment-related complaint surrounding the missing container vans. Named respondents to the case were Loida Jalimao, proprietress and manager of Sea Eagle Trading; Lolita Clarin, proprietress and manager of LCN Trading; and Cecille San Diego, proprietress and manager of Moncelian Enterprises. "There is reason to believe that the transshipped imported goods were diverted by the accused and their cohorts to evade payments of customs duties and taxes, in palpable violation of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines and other related laws," said Alvarez then at a news briefing at the DOJ. Customs brokers Arceli Arellano, Merlyne Reyes, and Diosdado Bagon were also named respondents to the case, and of Bagon's employees were also on the charge sheet. — VS, GMA News