BOC seizes stolen cars from Taiwan

Customs authorities seized the other day nine luxury vehicles that were stolen in Taipei, Taiwan and shipped to Manila to be sold as used cars in the local market.

The seizure of the stolen luxury vehicles was made following a tip from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Makati that a shipment of carjacked vehicles from Taiwan would be shipped to the Port of Manila.

The stolen Toyota Camry and Nissan Cefiro sedans, which were declared as computer monitors and accessories, had been consigned to a firm in Intramuros, Manila. The firm, however, denied ownership of the consignment.

Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo said that the stolen vehicles, worth an estimated P17 million, were concealed behind empty frames of computer monitors, an indication that they were being to smuggled into the country.

A Taipei-based car theft syndicate, according to Customs Deputy Commissioner Ray Allas, has been responsible for stealing luxury vehicles in Taipei which are then shipped to several Asian countries, including the Philippines, to be sold as used cars.

Allas said that an alert order was issued on the questioned shipment for Customs authorities to monitor its arrival.

Bernardo, together with TECO representatives, witnessed the examination of the shipment of stolen vehicles. Port of Manila District Collector Napoleon Morales said the confiscated vehicles would be sold through auction as part of the campaign of the bureau to raise revenues.

In a related development, the bureau also seized a shipment of used clothing and toys which arrived from Hong Kong. The shipment was also misdeclared to avoid correct payment of taxes and duties. – Rey Arquiza