A BMW 750li is parked in front of an Abu Dhabi hotel in this 2005 Bloomberg photo. The Philippine government will auction off seized luxury cars such as this one which were seized by antismuggling task force. The Bureau of Customs hopes to raise as much as P67 million from the sale of 14 seized motor vehicles on July 18. Among the brand-new vehicles up for grabs include Mercedes Benz sedans and high-end SUVs.

CUSTOMS Commissioner Napoleon L. Morales has asked the agency’s audit group to closely examine car imports and bulk shipments—such as grain and coal—for the past three years in an effort to squeeze collections from shippers and importers.

Morales, who needs to make up for the agency’s P13-billion shortfall for the first half of the year, said that the bureau has already sent demand letters for payment from other importers, which amounts to P384 million for motor vehicle deliveries during the first half. An official of the Customs’ post entry audit group (PEAG) said that they are currently examining motor vehicle import records for 2004 and 2005. The same office was earlier assigned to scrutinize oil shipments for the past three years.

“We are now working closely with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) in reviewing the records of motor vehicles. For oil shipments, we are placing prime focus on the ports of Manila, Batangas and Manila International Container Port as these are the only ports that accommodate oil importations,” said Jun Ligon, an audit group official.

Customs Memorandum Order 12-2007 directed all district ports to cooperate with the review of financial documents and provide PEAG access to all the required documents and files needed for the audit.

According to estimates, duties on oil shipments can generate at least P10 billion in additional revenues for the government.

Meanwhile, by next week, the bureau also hopes to generate at least P67 million from the sale of 14 seized luxury vehicles at the Port of Subic after the shipment was forfeited in favor of the government. Seized by the now-defunct Task Force Anti-smuggling early this year, the luxury vehicles were found to be undervalued. They are currently worth more than P100 million, according to Morales.

The units, which include luxury models such as Infinity FX45, BMW 750li, Audi a8l, Cadillac Escalade EXT pick up, Escalade SUV, Mercedes Benz sedans, BMW 325i, Nissan Armada, and Covette Convertible were seized in two showrooms in Quezon City and Angeles City, Pampanga.

Initial reports indicate that two Koreans stole several brand new and imported luxury cars from their legitimate importers by forging the receipts. The vehicles then found its way to the SBMA seaport without paying proper duties and taxes.

CUSTOMS Commissioner Napoleon L. Morales has asked the agency’s audit group to closely examine car imports and bulk shipments—such as grain and coal—for the past three years in an effort to squeeze collections from shippers and importers.

THE Philippine Port Authority (PPA), the US government, and local shipping lines have all agreed to support a nonprofit group’s initiatives in curbing human trafficking at the country’s docks.

SHANGHAI—Shanghai, China’s busiest container port, handled 24- percent more sea-cargo boxes in the first half, helped by the country’s booming exports of toys, clothes and other goods. Shares of the port’s operator surged.

JAKARTA—Singapore’s PSA International Pte. and Hutchison Port Holdings Ltd., the world’s two-biggest port operators, will compete to build and operate Indonesia’s Bojonegara port.