The crackdown on erring Customs personnel has begun as five Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) agents face preventive suspension for their alleged extortion activities involving a businessman last week.

Filomeno Vicencio Jr, CIIS chief and acting deputy commissioner for Intelligence Group, recommended the suspension of his Customs agents after they conducted an operation without proper authority.

“I was bypassed and we can’t tolerate this. Their suspension will be the start of President (Noynoy) Aquino’s program to cleanse the Customs of misfits,” said Vicencio.

The official said he received a letter dated July 23 from businessman Rolando Reyes of MVJ Cargo Specialists that his operatives were trying to pull off an extortion attempt.

“Please realize that the situation has disrupted all our operation and will cost us heavily. At this point in time, we do not need additional unnecessary expenses that will take a heavy toll on our already heavily burdened financial situations,” his letter read.

Reyes claimed his personnel were about to deliver a container van loaded with yarn shipment to a consignee on July 20 but the CIIS men arrived at the delivery area and impounded the shipment in Port Area, Manila.

Based on reports reaching Vicencio, the CIIS men told the driver of the container van to contact the shipment owner, purportedly so the latter could "negotiate" for the van's release.

It was reported that they had no mission order in relation to the subject shipment. “It is pertinent to point out that all documents pertaining to the legality of this shipment is ready and available," Reyes said.

“In my case for example, I maybe liable to pay demurrage and storage charges because I am unable to return the chassis and container involved to make deliveries to their customers or receive raw materials to manufacture other orders. This could cause the cancellation of orders due to late or non delivery,” Reyes added.

But Jimmy Guban, one of the Customs agents involved, came to the defense, saying that they did not extort money from the businessman and they were armed by a mission order signed by Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez.

“We also did not inform anyone about this because we were told to conduct the operation discreetly,” said Guban. “This is a legitimate operation and we have the go signal of the commissioner.”