Smuggled race horses from Australia seized

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT -- The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group seized early morning Tuesday 15 race horses allegedly smuggled from Australia via the Federal Express Asia hub here, an official said.

The supposed contraband, declared as breeding horses, was imported by the Jade Farms in Batangas, said undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr., PASG head.

The import documents showed the consignees to be Felizardo Sevilla Jr., Noah Corpuz, and Narciso Morales.

The horses were seized by PASG agents, led by PASG operations chief, Manuel Hiadan.

"The declared value [for each horse] was only $800 when racing horses cost more than P1 million each plus seven percent tax," Villar told the Philippine Daily Inquirer here.

Villar said a top Customs official at the freeport tried to bribe Hiadan in an attempt to have the cargo released.

In a phone interview, Hiadan confirmed that the Customs official asked him to meet one of the consignees. He declined to directly say if there was an attempt to bribe him off. The official was not named.

Hiadan said the cargo would be held until the completion of an investigation. ( www.inquirer.net )