A week after the Bureau of Customs seized some P21 million worth of smuggled rice and other goods in Davao, Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim vowed more large-scale operations against smuggling in the future.
“To those who are still questioning our resolve in fighting corruption and smuggling inside the bureau, I hope we conveyed our message loud and clear. We will leave no stone unturned. Your smuggled goods shall not pass. Your illegal ways will not go unpunished,” said Lim, who personally supervised the opening of the containers at the Port of Davao in Barangay Sasa, Davao, last week.
Lim vowed more operations in the future saying this was the first anti-smuggling action made after President Benigno S. Aquino III appointed him as customs intelligence chief.
“This is an order straight from the President to stop smuggling and corruption in the agency. As a dutiful soldier, I am obliged to follow my directives. After Davao City, we will be operating in some areas in the country. There will be no let-up in the fight against smuggling,” Lim said.
Lim said he hoped to establish a “chilling effect” to immediately disrupt the “business as usual” operations of big-time smugglers.
“There will be no ‘business as usual’ for those who rob the country of revenues and undermine local industries. If they think their normal execution of illegal operations will go unabated, they have another thing coming,” Lim said.
Lim also encouraged the public to join him in the campaign against corruption and smuggling. He said active citizenship is a vital aspect in the advocacy to weed out irregularities in the bureau.
“While my office is primarily in charge of gathering information and intelligence against big-time smugglers, the people too can play an active part in helping us in this challenging task. This must become a ‘people’s campaign.’ We must impress to the obstinate smugglers that they are enemies of the people who must be made to account,” Lim asserted.
It was reported that consignees who used fictitious names misdeclared the rice and other goods found in 17 container vans in Davao.
Lim said the contents of 13 20-foot containers which came from Taiwan were declared as 4,200 packages of barytes powder, probably an ingredient for making paint, but actually contained a total of 7,800 50kg-bags of premium and glutinous rice estimated to be-worth about P12.5 million.
The contents of the other four 40-foot containers, which originated from the US and addressed to fictitious consignees included rice cookers, electric fans, stuffed toys, assorted personal items and sporting goods worth another P8.5 million. Jessil Alcaraz Felisario, Public Information and Assistance Division, Bureau of Customs
