Customs bureau turns over PHP15-M worth of seized fireworks to police

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has turned over four containers of China-made firecrackers worth PHP15 million to the Philippine National Police (PNP). (Photo: Bureau of Customs PH/ Facebook)

MANILA—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has turned over four containers of China-made firecrackers worth PHP15 million to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“We turned over the seized items to the PNP for proper disposal so these won’t find its way to the market,” Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-10 (CIIS-10) Chief, Alvin Enciso, said in a news release issued Wednesday.

Enciso said the shipments were seized for misdeclaration and lack of import permits.

The cargoes, consigned to Spherebox Marketing and Pro-V Marketing Unlimited Co., were initially declared as drinking glasses, cups, reams of bond paper, and sanitary napkins but were found to be fireworks and firecrackers by Customs authorities upon inspection.

The importers were identified as Quingtian Zhangchao Import & Export Co. Ltd., Yiwu Suge Import & Export Co. Ltd., and Guangzhou Kind Sam Import & Export Co. Ltd.

The inspection was prompted by an alert order from BOC’s Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Teddy Raval and CIIS director Neil Estrella.

The firecrackers were received last April 29 by officials of the PNP Police Regional Office 10.