Smuggled ammunition, sex toy from US intercepted in Cebu port

Photo courtesy of BOC – Port of Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A smuggled sex toy and more than 100 rounds of ammunition were confiscated in a port in Cebu by Customs officials.

The Bureau of Customs in the Port of Cebu (BOC-Port of Cebu) confirmed intercepting last September 1 a shipment containing the undeclared goods.

The package was shipped from the United States, said Lawyer Vicente Andrew Espina, chief of BOC-Port of Cebu Legal Division, in an interview with reporters. 

Espina said the smuggled items were transported together in a shipment declared as personal effects and household goods. When a physical inspection was made, however, they discovered the undeclared ammunition and one sex toy. 

There were also no supporting documents for them, said Espina, such as clearances from the Firearms and Explosives Unit of the Philippine National Police.

The smuggled ammunition they seized included 50 rounds of a 9 mm caliber, 55 rounds of a 30-30 caliber, nine rounds of a .357 caliber,  four rounds of 4.5 premium grade PBS, and 500 pieces of 1.77 pointed pellets. 

“In relation to the entire shipment, the apprehended (goods) consisted of less than one percent of the entire shipment’s (volume). It is not that voluminous but nevertheless, the importation was not declared so it was a violation of Customs law and we have to seize these items,” said Espina. 

Meanwhile, Customs officials remind importers here to comply with existing Customs laws and ensure their shipments have the required documents to avoid confiscation.

Since January of this year, the BOC – Port of Cebu already made 30 seizures, most of which happened to be undeclared goods and shipments that lack or have no necessary permits.

RELATED STORIES

Customs seize undeclared ‘ukay-ukay’ in Cebu port

Cebu customs seize smuggled hazardous chemicals from China

Customs seize P2M ‘ukay-ukay’ from S. Korea

Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu recognizes Top 10 importers in 2021

/dbs