MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Customs (BOC) officers intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Wednesday two parcels containing P500,000 worth of firearms and bullets bound for Taiwan.
The parcels, declared to contain solar panels, held eight pistols (Glock 19 9mm and Heckler & Koch P2000 V3), 20 magazines and 266 bullets, said BOC-NAIA district collector Mimel Talusan.
The parcels are illegal because they were misdeclared and were not covered by permits from the Philippine National Police Firearms and Explosives Office, she said.
Talusan said they did not identify the sender while the person is under investigation by the BOC’s law division.
She said exporting firearms and ammunition through misdeclaration and without necessary permits violate the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.