THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) said its seizures of smuggled goods have totaled P30.1 billion as of July 25.
In a statement, the BoC said that the goods were seized in 654 separate operations. They include over P2.9 billion worth of agricultural products.
The BoC has said it generated collections of P434.169 billion in the six months to June, beating its target by 3.21%.
The BoC’s collections in the half represent around 48% of its P901.3-billion full-year target.
Measures taken to improve collections include enhancing pre-arrival and post-arrival technical targeting and fraud detection for imported goods.
“Investing in additional equipment and providing capacity building for our personnel that will further strengthen our intelligence and enforcement capabilities,” it added.
The agency also said it is working on intensifying “collaboration, joint operations, and information sharing with local and international law enforcement and regulatory agencies.”
“The BoC is committed to expedite the prosecution of filed cases before the Department of Justice (DoJ) and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Additionally, through the DoJ, we will strive to increase the conviction rate of smugglers, serving as a deterrent to others involved in such illicit activities,” it said.
As of July 25, the agency has processed the accreditation of 7,733 importers and 1,263 Customs brokers.
Some 95 importers and 36 Customs brokers have had their accreditation revoked “due to violations of customs laws, rules, and regulations.” — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
