A balikbayan box containing luxury goods in commercial quantity worth an estimated P6.5 million and misdeclared as personal effects was seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from a warehouse in Pasay City.
The balikbayan (personal effects) box, which contained items bearing luxury brands such as Prada, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Valentino, came from Maisons-Alfort in France and was consigned to a certain Reynaldo Tan.
A 100% physical examination of the shipment disclosed luxury bags, shoes, sandals, shirts and accessories in commercial quantity of 157 pieces, and not the declared personal effects of “assorted clothes, shampoo.”
“The misdeclaration is an apparent attempt to evade the payment of correct duties and taxes through the use of falsified/spurious documents and circumvent the duty- and tax-free privileges afforded to balikbayan boxes,” BOC said in a statement.
Under the law, balikbayan boxes, which are exempt from duties and taxes, should only contain personal and household effects and should not be in commercial quantities or intended for barter, sale or hire. The value of all balikbayan boxes per sender should also not exceed P150,000 in any calendar year.
BOC-NAIA district collector Carmelita M. Talusan said the shipment will be subject to seizure and forfeiture proceedings for violation of relevant sections of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
The apprehension will also be referred to the Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) of BOC for case profiling and case build-up against the personalities involved in the foiled smuggling attempt.
