Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 1) — The Bureau of Customs seized P15 million worth of suspected smuggled personal protective equipment in a raid in Manila on Tuesday.
A letter of authority from Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guererro led to the raid of three shops in Sta. Cruz where PPEs such as gloves, goggles and masks were recovered.
The BOC said it found out that the items were misdelcared when these were imported.
“Smuggled PPE may pose a health risk to users since such items may not comply with the safety standards set by the government rendering them not fit for human utilization,” said the BOC.
The BOC Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and the Philippine Coast Guard conducted the raid.
The CIIS is doing an inventory of the items seized in the raid and the store owners have 15 days to present the documents needed to prove these were legally imported.
“If proven that the PPE were smuggled the store owners may face charges of smuggling in relation to the provisions of The Customs Modernization Act, ” said the BOC.
Meanwhile, an Indian national was arrested by authorities on Wednesday during an entrapment operation in Pasig City.
Authorities received information that a store where Mukesh Chandwani is an account manager was selling thermal scanners for ₱5,000 per piece wen the suggested retail price is only ₱3,500.
Chandwani was caught by authorities in the act of selling the scanners. The operation also led to the seizure of four boxes containing 118 pieces of thermal scanners with an estimated value of ₱590,000.00.
