ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is eyeing the possible involvement of some of its personnel in the disappearance of confiscated dried seashore from its warehouse here.
Lawyer Lyceo Martinez, BOC district collector, issued the statement on Thursday after seven of the 15 bales of confiscated dried seahorse were found missing at the BOC warehouse.
“There is a big possibility that there’s an inside job on what had happened, that some of the BOC personnel are involved. We cannot avoid it as it happens in every organization,” Martinez said.
He assured that “the full extent of the law” will be imposed against the employees involved in the disappearance of the confiscated dried seahorse.
The 15 bales of dried seahorse, estimated to be worth PHP3 million, were intercepted by personnel of the Zamboanga Coast Guard at the local port on August 15.
Seven of the 15 bales were discovered missing from the BOC warehouse on September 6.
The catch and sale of seahorse is prohibited under existing laws and is punishable with fines and imprisonment.
Martinez said the National Bureau of Investigation is looking into the missing goods.
Closed-circuit television cameras have been installed at the warehouse to prevent a repeat of the incident, he added. (R. G. Antonet Go/PNA)
