Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña has relieved several officials at the Manila International Container Port who allegedly conspired with smugglers to convey P15 million worth of sugar at the MICP by issuing a bogus lifting order from his office.
He also said Customs will inspect 4,000 abandoned and misdeclared shipments at the Port of Manila and MICP following the foiled attempt to smuggle P15 million worth of sugar and the recent seizure of P6.8 billion worth of illegal drugs concealed in magnetic lifters.
Lapeña said they were alerted on the smuggled sugar after it was declared as refractory mortar, a building material like cement, which was consigned to Don Trading.
He said Don Trading had attempted to smuggle the 5,000 sacks of sugar into the country.
Lapeña declined to name the BoC-MICP officials he relieved pending an investigation but said they were customs examiners, appraisers, intelligence officers and employees at the MICP.
Lapeña said aside from facing administrative charges, the BoC-MICP officials would also face criminal charges for conspiring with smugglers to smuggle the sugar by recommending a lifting order without the approval of the office of the commissioner.
“I will make them answer for this violation of the law. The BoC personnel recommended the lifting of an alert order on goods that were found to be smuggled,” he said.
He said the recommendation order was “fake” and did not pass his office for review or approval.
“I ordered the alert order on these container vans. However, the Customs personnel in charge of the examination submitted a report different from what was found during our reexamination,” Lapeña told reporters.
“They also submitted a recommendation lifting the order, which is fake, to justify everything is in order despite the irregularity.”