By JEFFREY G. DAMICOG
A firm faces a criminal complaint before the Department of Justice (DoJ) for allegedly smuggling into the country over 7,000 sacks of rice.
The Bureau of Customs (BoC) filed the case last Monday against Seven Myth Marketing including its owner Leoncio Victor Mangubat and customs broker Mary Faith Miro.
The BoC said Myth has been accused of violating Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification, Undervaluation in Good Declaration), in relation to Section 1401 (Unlawful Importation or Exportation) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA); economic sabotage for large-scale agricultural smuggling under the CMTA; and Article 172 in relation to Article 171 (Falsification by Private Individuals and Use of Falsified Documents) of the Revised Penal Code.
Myth brought into the country two shipments from China, which the consignee declared as ceramic tiles. It arrived at the Port of Cebu on Nov. 27 and 29 last year.
However, the shipment was discovered to be containing 7,150 sacks of 50 kilograms Sinandomeng Aguila and Sinandomeng Mayon rice with estimated duties and taxes of P10,013,503.50.
The BoC noted that out of the 15 containers that arrived only one contained ceramic tiles.
After the shipments were alerted on Dec. 7, 2017 based on the derogatory information received by the BoC, these were subsequently seized on Dec. 13, 2017.
Apart from Myth, the BoC also filed on Monday before the DoJ a criminal complaint against Granstar Premier Sports Corporation and Seven Myth Marketing.
Granstar as well as its owners and brokers were charged for violation of sections 2503 (Undervaluation, Misclassification, Misdeclaration in Entry), 3602 (Various Fraudulent Practices against Customs Revenue), 3601 (Unlawful Importation) of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP); and article 172 (Falsification by Private Individuals and Use of Falsified Documents) of the Revised Penal Code.
The case stemmed from Granstar’s alleged shipments of 112 units of brand new Vespa scooters which originated from Singapore and arrived at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
