Friday, May 09, 2008
BOC apprehends high-grade iron wire from Cebu port (11:17 a.m.)
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) apprehended P9 million worth of smuggled electro galvanized iron wire from the Port of Cebu misdeclared as "construction materials."
Lawyer Lourdes Mangaoang, BOC X-Ray Scanning Project chief, said the iron wire which came from China were found hidden inside five container vans that arrived via MV Elena last April 28.
The shipment was consigned to Well Stuff Trader, which declared it as construction materials; however, an examination by an import commodity expert from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) revealed that the containers carried the high-grade iron wire.
Early this week, district collector Ricardo Belmonte issued a warrant of seizure and detention against the shipment.
"Instead of paying P1.5 million in duties and taxes to the bureau, the importer only paid P75,000 as indicated in the import entry," she said.
Other violations committed by the importer included the declaration of the shipment at only three percent rate of duty, instead of seven percent as assessed by the import commodity expert.
"The consignee also declared that the shipment only weighed 48 metric tons instead of 140," she said.
Mangaoang also said the importer misdeclared the value of the shipment when it stated that its only US$204 per kilogram instead of US$1000 per kilogram, the world market value. (FP/Sunnex) |
