The Bureau of Customs (BoC) has placed several suspected smugglers on its watch list for failure to attend court hearings on their criminal cases filed at the Manila Regional and Metropolitan Trial courts.

Members of the BoC-Run After the Smugglers (RATS) Group said they have tapped the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other concerned agencies to apprehend at least nine persons who face smuggling charges.

RATS said it also has turned to the National Statistics Office (NSO) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to locate the whereabouts of the wanted suspected smugglers charged with violating Customs laws and the Revised Penal Code.

“The warrants of arrest have been issued against these individuals but they still remain at large. Now, in order to expedite their arrest, we are closely coordinating with these government agencies,” the RATS said in a statement.

“The bureau is dead serious not only in raising revenues but also in setting an example to those who evade their criminal liability,” the group said.

In the criminal case filed by RATS, Vicente Pacarangan was allegedly involved in technical smuggling of pork luncheon meat. It was alleged that in the Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice and Packing List, the shipment was misdeclared as canned mushrooms.

Apart from Pacarangan, Rosemarie Landicho, who is not an importer, was placed by BoC on its watch list for allegedly falsifying documents in her application for accreditation with the bureau as a customs broker.

RATS said the courts also issued warrants of arrest against seven more personalities namely Joselito Azurin, Ricardo Visbe, Young Chan, Victor Reyes, Eduardo Barreto, Maurren Gutierrez and Jocelyn Sendiong for violation of Customs laws and the Revised Penal Code.

BoC launched the RATS Group in 2005 with the objective of filing Customs cases against high-profile smugglers at the rate of one case every two weeks or seizure of cargo.