Intelligence agents of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P45-million worth of smuggled high-end communication and electronic gadgets and fresh red onions from India at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

The BOC, in a statement, said that its agents seized on Monday some P30-million worth of high-end communication and electronic gadgets in Tondo, Manila.

BOC acted on intelligence reports that an online shop identified as Kim Store sells imported high-end communication gadgets under suspicious importation schemes and processes.

Among the items seized were units of iPhone 7 cellular phones, Macbook laptops, Samsung Galaxy S7 series phones, Nexus 6Ps phones, Zenfone 3 Ultra phones, Sony Xperia phones, Canon cameras, tablets and music players, audio accessories, and gadgets for safety and security.

In his report to Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, Intelligence Officer Joel Pinawin, team leader of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) operating unit, said that Kim Store is owned by a certain “Francis,” a Filipino-Chinese businessman in Binondo, who is engaged in selling smuggled items online.

The staff of Kim Store’s depot failed to present documents for their imported items,

“We are still validating some intelligence reports, and we will fully identify the real owners of Kim Store in the next few days,” Pinawin said in his report.

Meanwhile, bureau agents also busted P15-million worth of smuggled imported red onions contained in 11 40-footer container vans lodged for processing at the MICP.

Of the 11 container vans, eight were consigned to Mheriban Sales Corporation (MSC) with address Room 892 Artex Building, 435Juan Luna Street, Barangay 287, Zone 27, Binondo, Manila, and three to Malaya Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMPC) with address at Mapaniqui, Candaba, Pampanga.

All shipments were found to have no valid import permits from the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI), prompting BOC to immediately issue alert order on the shipments.

“Our agents inquired at the Department of Agriculture (DA) to inquire on its policy covering agricultural importation of onion products, and it appears that the importers have no corresponding import permits at the moment,” said Faeldon, citing Republic Act No. 10845, otherwise known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. CDG

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