BOC: Operation ongoing for other smuggled Bugatti Chiron

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) already has information on the location of one of the two illegally imported Bugatti Chiron sports cars that became viral on social media.

“There’s an ongoing operation at the moment, we cannot disclose [the details],” BOC Deputy Commissioner Michael Fermin said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

Fermin was asked if the agency already has any information on the whereabouts of the remaining Bugatti Chiron car that the BOC aims to seize.

The red Bugatti Chiron was already surrendered by its owner to the Customs last week, after the bureau offered cash rewards to informants who can help locate the illegally imported luxury cars estimated to cost around $3 million each.

The two smuggled sports cars were the subject of Senator Raffy Tulfo’s speech early this week, where he disclosed that the luxury cars were registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) using fake documents from the BOC.

The blue Bugatti with plate number NIM 5448 was allegedly registered under the name of a certain Thu Trang Nguyen, while the red one with plate number of NIM 5450 was registered under a certain Meng Jun Zhu, according to Tulfo.

The senator identified several personnel of the BOC, who allegedly facilitated the illegal entry of the luxury cars.

Fermin said that the BOC “already has an investigation at this moment” concerning its personnel named by the senator.

As to how much duties will be recovered by the BOC from taxing the illegally imported cars, the Customs officials said the agency is still determining the actual value of the cars. —VAL, GMA Integrated News