Authorities, led by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) sub-port of Dumaguete, seized 397 bales of imported used clothing or “ukay-ukay”, which were “smuggled” onboard a commercial vessel from Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte early this week.
Dumaguete Customs Collector Fe Lluelyn G. Toring said on Friday that the contraband items were loaded in two wing vans with temporary plate numbers 130110 and CAY 2331 onboard the M/V Fast Cat Line M14 from Dapitan.
The authorities intercepted the alleged smuggled goods at the city port on Wednesday and conducted an inventory on Thursday.
Joining the Customs sub-port team during the anti-smuggling operation were the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Maritime Police.
Toring called on the public to report smuggling operations here in support of the agency’s anti-smuggling campaign, as well as “to educate the public that imported used clothing for trade is prohibited.”
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
The Bureau of Customs Sub-Port Office here will issue a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against those responsible for the smuggled items, in violation of Republic Act 4653, “An Act to Safeguard the Health of the People and Maintain the Dignity of the Nation by Declaring it a National Policy to Prohibit the Commercial Importation of Textile Articles Commonly Known as Used Clothing and Rags”.
The consignee of the contraband items was identified as a certain Catherine Tan, with a business address (based on the delivery receipt) at Business C Shopping, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
Since January this year, the BOC sub-port of Dumaguete has confiscated a total of 544 “ukay-ukay” bales, which are under the custody of the office.
Toring said the proper disposition of these contraband items would be determined by the BOC-Port of Cebu. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
br />