MANILA: The Bureau of Customs has seized close to a million pesos’ worth of misdeclared steel products from China.
At the same time, the agency warned against transacting with frauds claiming to belong to a “Task Force Sunshine” and offering to protect or facilitate shipments in exchnage for “facilitation fees.”
An X-ray inspection by the BOC’s Enforcement Group of a 40-foot container van that had been declared as containing 526 packages of softgel forming machine cleaners and a moisture analyzer ferreted out the steel products.
The value of the shipment as declared would have been assessed at only $16,450, or P773,150, instead of its true Customs value of P960,000.
Besides this, BOC deputy commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, who heads the EG, said importated steel products “must also meet the specified safety requirements and obtain (a) Philippine Standard License from the DTI–BPS (Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Products Standards).”
On the other hand, Customs commissioner Alberto Lina denied the existence of “Task Force Sunshine” within the agency, following an anonymous tip that some people were being approached for help with the formation of the non-existent body.
Lina also said they have received reports of persons introducing themselves as representatives of the Office of the Commissioner and claiming to have the power to protect and facilitate shipments for a fee.
