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The Bureau of Customs is giving full support to the strengthening of criminal cases filed against Makati Express Cargo as more affected overseas Filipino workers lodged complaints over undelivered and delayed balikbayan boxes
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19 OFWs and their families have now filed criminal complaints against the said company for large-scale estafa through cyber fraud
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Complaints filed with the NBI Fraud and Financial Crimes Division on April 20, 2026, with BOC assistance
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NBI verification found no functioning office at the company’s registered addresses since 2023
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BOC will separately file its own cases against those involved for violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act
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BOC is coordinating with logistics partners to deliver abandoned balikbayan boxes to their rightful owners
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is giving full support to the strengthening of criminal cases filed against Makati Express Cargo, as more affected overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) lodged complaints over undelivered and delayed balikbayan boxes.
A total of 19 OFWs and their families have now filed criminal complaints against the company with the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) Fraud and Financial Crimes Division, with charges relating to large-scale estafa through cyber fraud.
The most recent batch of complaints was filed on April 20, 2026, the BOC announced.
The NBI, acting on the initial complaints, moved to verify the company’s registered addresses and found no operating office at any of them, a situation that has apparently persisted since 2023. Investigators also uncovered additional indicators of fraudulent conduct during their review.
The complaints center on missing balikbayan boxes and packages that have either never arrived or suffered prolonged and unexplained delays.
READ: BOC suspends Makati Express Corp accreditation as deconsolidator
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno made clear the bureau intends to pursue the matter to the fullest. “We issue a stern warning against those exploiting our OFW, and we will hold them accountable. The Bureau of Customs stands as your ally in this fight,” Nepomuceno said.
In the meantime, the BOC said it is coordinating with logistics partners to locate and deliver abandoned balikbayan boxes to their rightful owners, aiming to restore what restitution is still possible for affected families.
Beyond supporting the NBI complaints, the BOC will separately file its own cases against those implicated for alleged violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
The BOC stated that its involvement is part of a broader directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to enhance protections for OFWs and combat fraudulent operators targeting them.
READ: BOC starts release of last batch of abandoned balikbayan boxes
