Authorities probe Australian racehorse smuggling ring
SUBIC BAY - Philippine customs authorities are investigating a suspected smuggling ring that illegally brought in Australian racehorses, port authorities said Thursday.
A special anti-smuggling task force seized a consignment of 15 racehorses on Tuesday following a complaint by the Philippine Horse Racing Commission that the animals would be used for racing and not for breeding as declared in their shipping papers.
Subic Bay official Joenel Aurelio told reporters the importers had paid $163 each in taxes for the horses which were brought in through the port.
The tax on horses imported for racing is $30,000.
A number of Subic Bay customs personnel were under investigation for allegedly having "conspired to smuggle the horses," Aurelio said.
He did not say where in Australia the horses came from or how much they were worth.
The horses are now in the care of the authorities until the investigation is completed. Agence France-Presse - ABS CBN NEWS
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Intercepted horses in Subic legally imported - Customs
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday ruled the recent importation of horses in Subic Port was legal based on the documents submitted by the importer.
“Upon verification, we found out that all the needed papers were properly secured by the importer,” Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said.
Contradicting earlier reports that the horses were undervalued, Morales said that the declared value of $800 per animal matches the internet value.
Agents from the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) intercepted the animals for technical smuggling last Monday.
On Wednesday, the Customs chief ordered Subic Port Collector Marietta Zamoransos to furnish him with a copy of the import entry of shipment to check if there were discrepancies on the documents submitted.
Based on documents submitted to the Office of the Commissioner, the shipment was consigned to a Mr Felizardo Sevilla Jr of Disconnect Trading and sourced from Australia from Crispin Bennet International Horse Transport Pty. Ltd. in Sunbury, Victoria, Australia.
The shipment contained seven live horses each valued at $800 and were classified as thoroughbred horses for breeding purposes.
The discrepancy report also showed no difference between the declaration of Customs duty of P10,172 per animal and Value Added Tax of P42,768 each, which amounts to a total of P53,730.
The importer also presented a Veterinary Quarantine Clearance to import equine from Australia and certification from the Philippine Racing Commission that the importer is a bona fide horse breeder.
On the other hand, Morales said that he is leaving to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on the classification of the animals on whether they are for breeding or for racing. - GMANews.TV
A special anti-smuggling task force seized a consignment of 15 racehorses on Tuesday following a complaint by the Philippine Horse Racing Commission that the animals would be used for racing and not for breeding as declared in their shipping papers.
Subic Bay official Joenel Aurelio told reporters the importers had paid $163 each in taxes for the horses which were brought in through the port.
The tax on horses imported for racing is $30,000.
A number of Subic Bay customs personnel were under investigation for allegedly having "conspired to smuggle the horses," Aurelio said.
He did not say where in Australia the horses came from or how much they were worth.
The horses are now in the care of the authorities until the investigation is completed. Agence France-Presse - ABS CBN NEWS
= = =
Intercepted horses in Subic legally imported - Customs
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday ruled the recent importation of horses in Subic Port was legal based on the documents submitted by the importer.
“Upon verification, we found out that all the needed papers were properly secured by the importer,” Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said.
Contradicting earlier reports that the horses were undervalued, Morales said that the declared value of $800 per animal matches the internet value.
Agents from the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) intercepted the animals for technical smuggling last Monday.
On Wednesday, the Customs chief ordered Subic Port Collector Marietta Zamoransos to furnish him with a copy of the import entry of shipment to check if there were discrepancies on the documents submitted.
Based on documents submitted to the Office of the Commissioner, the shipment was consigned to a Mr Felizardo Sevilla Jr of Disconnect Trading and sourced from Australia from Crispin Bennet International Horse Transport Pty. Ltd. in Sunbury, Victoria, Australia.
The shipment contained seven live horses each valued at $800 and were classified as thoroughbred horses for breeding purposes.
The discrepancy report also showed no difference between the declaration of Customs duty of P10,172 per animal and Value Added Tax of P42,768 each, which amounts to a total of P53,730.
The importer also presented a Veterinary Quarantine Clearance to import equine from Australia and certification from the Philippine Racing Commission that the importer is a bona fide horse breeder.
On the other hand, Morales said that he is leaving to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on the classification of the animals on whether they are for breeding or for racing. - GMANews.TV
Labels: customs, pastf, race horses, smuggling, subic
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