TWO government agencies are undertaking a thorough investigation to determine the potential link between a car dealer suspected of having sold luxury vehicles to the contractor couple Pacifico and Cesarah Discaya, and a Chinese national who was recently arrested in Makati City.
Land Transportation Office (LTO) Markus Lacanilao announced that the agency, supported by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), is investigating a possible connection between a Chinese national identified by his alias ‘Cheng’ and Frebel Enterprises, the car dealer that allegedly supplied luxury vehicles to the Discayas.
The foreigner is said to own the luxury car showroom in Makati City which was raided by the Customs in February of this year. He is suspected of being part of a syndicate involved in the smuggling of luxury vehicles into the country.
During his initial week as LTO chief, Lacanilao disclosed that they had already impounded luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari 458, a Lamborghini Urus, and a Lamborghini Huracán purportedly owned by the Discaya couple.
“All of them had one importer, Frebel, which was the same importer for the Discayas that were registered with the National Capital Region (NCR),” Lacanilao remarked.
In a prior Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, Mrs. Duscaya allegedly identified Frebel Enterprises as one of their car dealers.
The LTO is collaborating with the BOC as preliminary investigation indicated the existence of a connection between the Chinese national and Frebel.
Both agencies are conducting an inquiry and verifying whether all the luxury cars showcased in the Makati showroom were imported by Frebel.
On Nov. 27, the LTO and the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) flagged the suspect in Makati City after a former Filipino employee, through the office of Senator Erwin Tulfo, lodged a complaint with the LTO.
During the arrest, the foreigner was reportedly found with an unlicensed firearm.
It was also noticed that his blue-colored Mercedes-Benz did not match the description in the vehicle’s registration papers.
The suspect was also reportedly using a fake driver’s license, which Lacanilao surmised was intended to conceal his real identity.
Lacanilao stated that the suspect’s clients were previously connected to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) operations in the country.
He said the LTO has already coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration to verify the suspect’s real identity.
