(Photo courtesy of BOC Clark) MANILA - Personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Clark have discovered a total of 1,187.1 grams of cocaine worth PHP6.2 million hidden in the rims of three wheelchair casters. In a statement Wednesday, the Bureau reported that the illegal drugs were concealed in a shipment said to contain a "mini /sumatic wheelchair caster," by port authorities on Jan. 24. It added that the shipment arrived on Jan. 13 from Tanzania in eastern Africa. Port of Clark District Collector John Simon said the shipment was subjected to K9 sniffing and x-ray scanning procedures and physical examination based on information from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Physical examination yielded three wheelchair casters filled with a white powdery substance along the rims. Representative samples were then taken to PDEA for chemical laboratory analysis, which yielded positive for cocaine, a prohibited drug under Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehe
(Photo courtesy of BOC) MANILA - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) - Port of Clark arrested the claimant of a parcel containing 35 grams of kush or high-grade marijuana in Malabon City on Tuesday. In a statement Wednesday, the bureau said the suspect, who was not identified, was arrested in controlled delivery operations conducted by the members of Customs Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF), Enforcement & Security Service (ESS), Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). The contraband with an estimated street value of PHP52,500 was placed inside eight canisters that came from the US state of Pennsylvania and was declared as "goodies". However, the package showed suspicious images during X-ray scanning while K9 sweeping procedure indicated the possible presence of narcotics. The BOC then subjected it to a physical examination that resulted in the discovery of canisters containing dr
(Photos courtesy of BOC) MANILA - Customs officers seized shipments of shabu and fake cigarettes with a total value of PHP15 million in separate operations in Metro Manila and Central Luzon, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported on Thursday. In a statement, Jeoffrey Tacio, director of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) said the imported fake cigarettes worth PHP9 million were discovered at a warehouse in Valenzuela City on March 11. During the implementation of the letter of authority (LOA) and mission order (MO) signed by Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the inspection team found master cases of imported fake cigarettes, such as Marlboro reds, Mighty, Modern Cigarettes, Carnival, Red Golden Dragon (RGD) Classic, and others. The packs of cigarettes contained the same Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) stamps and serial numbers. "It is not even enough that we seize a whole warehouse, where these cigarettes without perm
(Photo courtesy of BOC) MANILA - Authorities seized PHP110 million worth of smuggled fake luxury goods at a warehouse in Manila last week, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported on Wednesday. In a statement, the BOC said the team led by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Field Office-Intellectual Property Rights Division (CIIS-IPRD) inspected the warehouse located at a condominium in Binondo on March 11. During the inspection, the team discovered numerous items bearing the trademarks Hermes, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Marvel, Disney, Hot Wheels, Hello Kitty, Cars, Spiderman, Toy Story, Iron Man, among others. Further investigation is underway for possible violations of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (RA 8293) and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863). The inspection team is also composed of the BOC-Port of Manila and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Meanwhile, the BOC-Port of Clark also reported the apprehension of 1.16 kilo