The crew of MT Tritrust and MT Mega Ensoleilee, the two fuel tankers caught by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the act of illegal transfer of smuggled fuel at Navotas Fish Port, will face charges for transporting unmarked fuel in commercial quantities.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the United Nations (UN) ESCAP recently published a study entitled: “National Feasibility Study on Cross-border Electronic Exchange of Trade-related Data and Documents: The Philippines,” which assesses the readiness of the Philippines in implementing electronic trade data exchange with potential partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

The study is accessible in the ESCAP website at https://tinyurl.com/PH-Feasibility-Study.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has recently completed an intensive training program on Capacity Building for Customs Laboratory Processes in South Korea. The training was held from August 4 to August 17, 2024.

The Bureau of Customs and the World Customs Organization successfully completed a five-day session focused on analyzing internal corruption risks and ways of mapping it out. The mission took place from September 23 to 27, 2024, and involved experts from the World Customs Organization (WCO). This initiative, conducted under the Accelerate Trade Facilitation Programme, as supported by the United Kingdom’s His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, aimed to further strengthen the BOC’s anti-corruption and integrity measures.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) successfully convened its 7th Customs Industry Consultative and Advisory Council (CICAC) meeting at the Manila Hotel on September 27, 2024, hosted by the Association of Off-Dock & CY/CFS Operators of the Philippines (ACOP), the Philippine Multimodal Transport & Logistics Association, Inc. (PMTLAI), and the United Port-users Confederation of the Philippines (UPC).

In a continued demonstration of its commitment to border protection, the Bureau of Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA), in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), intercepted five parcels containing illegal drugs with a total estimated street value of PhP1.4 million at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City on September 26, 2024.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Subport of Mactan confiscated undeclared foreign currency brought by a Korean national who arrived at Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) Terminal 2 aboard Jin Air Flight LJ31 from South Korea recently.

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, along with ACT-CIS Party-List Representatives, Cong. Erwin T. Tulfo and Cong. Edvic G. Yap, visited the Bureau of Customs – Manila International Container Port (BOC-MICP) on 25 September 2024 to inspect rice shipments following reports of port congestion due to delays in the releases.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) – Port of Clark apprehended 460 grams of High-Grade “Kush” Marijuana worth PhP759,000 in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police – Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEG), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Pampanga District Office, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and Brgy. Officials of Dau, among others.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has initiated inquest proceedings with the Office of the City Prosecutor of Navotas City against responsible officers and 24 crew members of two vessels, following their seizure for involvement in the illegal transfer of unmarked fuel, commonly referred to as the ‘paihi’ modus operandi in the Navotas anchorage area.