Around 20M worth of iPhones has been seized by the Bureau of Customs on Sunday, after the phones were discovered in the Manila International Container Point. Around 400 iPhones were hidden in sacks, amongst other goods that were declared as wall clocks, shoe racks and shoes and was consigned to Autumn Way Enterprises located in Binondo, Manila.
“The shipment, loaded in container van number DFSU7314434 under bill of lading 713610315074, was placed under surveillance for a week until it arrived last 12 January from China on board the vessel Elba Island V. 1700IS,” the BOC said.
The seizure of the mis-declared iPhones come at the heels of another high-profile BOC seizure which involves one of the biggest and oldest online shops in the country.
“The flagrant attempts by crooked importers to smuggle high-value communication items through misdeclaration will definitely be checked by BOC, and both the importer and broker will end up facing sanctions without prejudice from possible criminal charges that we will file in courts,” BOC Spokesperson Neil L. Estrella said.
