MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 29, 2014) – Over 400 watches worth some P4 million were seized by customs officials at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines after the cargoes which came from Dubai were declared as chocolates and groceries.
The watches, all Casio G-Shock, arrived in six Balikbayan boxes sent through cargo companies Forex and Filex, and were immediately seized by Customs officials during an inspection.
“We are closely monitoring all packages coming in or going out of the country. We have received reports that certain individuals are trying to use various cargo forwarding companies to try and smuggle items into the country,” said NAIA District Collector Edgar Macabeo.
Macabeo said they have stepped operations at the airports in an effort to thwart the entry of illegal cargoes. “These smugglers will now have difficulty in their illegal operations with our continued vigilance against these scalawags,” he said.
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