Joint elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) busted an illegal car smuggling operation inside the Manila International Container Port (MICP) following the discovery of at least five used Korean cars at a car display lot in Marikina City, the bureau reported Sunday.

Armed with a mission order signed by Secretary Antonio "Bebot" Villar Jr., head of PASG, operatives of the PASG and NBI raided the Stars Truck Co. located at J.P. Rizal Street in Barangay Concepcion Uno, Marikina City last Friday, according to Lawyer Edmund Arugay, head of PASG-NBI-Special Operations Group (NBI-SOG).

Seized inside the lot were five used Ssanyong Korandos worth more than P3 million.
"Stars Truck secretary identified as Jean Rado claimed the firm owns all the vehicles on display except for the five Ssanyong Korandos," Arugay said.

Villar said the Korandos arrived at the MICP in September last year and were consigned to Parkload Inc. which is owned and managed by a certain Peter Park, a Korean national. The broker was identified as a certain Mylene Tales.

The bill of lading for the shipment revealed a discrepancy bordering on smuggling to the prejudice of E.O. 156, an order signed by Pres. Arroyo amid the alarming number of smuggling cases involving used cars, according to Villar.

He said that there was an apparent attempt to smuggle in used vehicles as the manifest of Park only declared the items as used engines.

Villar said that Park was not authorized to import vehicles spare parts for rebuilding purposes as attested by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

"The scheme was so simple yet it would cost the government hundreds of millions in taxes had not the team of PASG-NBI-Special Operations Group stumbled upon it during an inspection of a display lot in Marikina for multi-cabs and used Ssanyong Korando vehicles," he said.

“Declaring vehicles as simply used engines is in itself a crime, a clear case of misdeclaration,” Villar said.

Villar said they are now preparing charges against the importer, consignee, broker and possibly Customs officials at the MICP for violation of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) in relation to E.O 156.

Park has not surfaced as of press time to clear his name.

The PASG head vowed to widen its probe on the possibility that a big-time syndicate within the MICPis wantonly violating a presidential executive order banning the importation of used vehicles.

"It is quite unusual for the syndicate to use the MICP as the launching pad for its illegal activity," Villar said, noting that in the past, similar smuggling attempts were confined to big ports outside Metro Manila, particularly in the South.