Mahigit sa₱1.3 bilyonghalaga ng imported na sigarilyo na pinaniniwalaang iligal na ni-repack ang nakumpiska ng mga tauhan ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) sa isang bodega sa OlongapoCity na ikinaarestong dalawang Malaysian, kamakailan.
Sa report, sinalakay ng mga tauhan ng NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (NBI-TFAID) ang warehouse ng Bumi Jaya International Corporation sa Subic Bay Gateway Park sa bisa ng search warrants na inilabas ng Olongapo Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 97.
“NBI-TFAID also seized 45,000 master boxes of assorted Chinese cigarettes with estimated value of P1,350,000,000. Workers of BUMI JAYA were also caught in flagrante delicto (caught in the act) of repacking Chunghwa cigarettes,” ayon sa ulat ng ahensya.
Inaresto rin ng NBI ang dalawang Malaysian na sina Bumi Jaya president Tan Ah-Seng at Vice President Tan Yan Teng.
Nagkasa ng operasyon ang NBI batay na rin sa natanggap na impormasyon na nagsasagawa ng illegal repacking ng sigarilyo sa nabanggit na bodega.
“Under BOC (Bureau of Customs) Customs Administrative Order (COA) No. 12-2019, the handling and movement or transshipment of goods from the carrier to and within the customs facilities and warehouses inside the port of entry shall be under the continuous supervision and subject to the rules and regulation issued by the BOC to include safeguard measures to ensure that the transshipped goods shall not be diverted to domestic market,” pahayag ng NBI.
Under custody na ng NBI sina Ah-Seng at Teng at nahaharap sila sa kasong paglabag sa Republic Act No. 10863 (Custom’s Modernization and Tariff Act).
Sangkot din umano sa kaso sina Gina Tsai, Lian Hong, Aderlia Tan at Chi Jung Hsiao, pawang incorporators ng nasabing kumpanya.
Jeffrey Damicog