Once again, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized another batch of luxury vehicles. This time, it includes a Ford Shelby GT500, a Nissan GT-R, a Lamborghini, and many other cars. All of which lack plates.
BOC's report that was posted on its official Facebook page
In total, 11 luxury cars were confiscated in Quezon City on October 1, 2021. These cars reportedly have an estimated market value of Php 100 million. If the perpetrator did indeed violate the laws concerning importation, then these cars will then have to be destroyed.
Of note, this latest string of confiscations was initiated by the BOC through the Port of Manila Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Field Office (POM-CIIS). It was also done in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
If you’re wondering why the BSP was part of this, it's because this multi-agency team also managed to liberate a mass of coins. Their exact value is yet to be determined, but these are estimated to be worth millions.
In account of the presumably smuggled cars, the one responsible might be in violation of Section 1114 of RA 10863 or Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. For the coins, it possibly also violates several BSP rules and regulations, as well as anti-money laundering laws.
Some of the cars that were recently confiscated by BOC.
Back in June of this year, the BOC was also in the spotlight when it destroyed several illegally imported cars. This was worth over Php 55 million. Even way back in 2018, the said agency has crushed nearly 100 vehicles with an estimated value of around Php 300 million.
Of course, the reactions to this were mixed. Some said that this only serves to deter future smugglers, while others said the government could have done something to make use of these to benefit Filipinos. And of course, many car enthusiasts were left cringing in pain. Sure, these were brought in illegally, but many of them are still beautiful pieces of engineering.
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