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BoC, OMB seize P300M worth of replicating machines


MANILA, Philippines - Elements of the Bureau of Customs and the Optical Media Board seized on Tuesday a P300 million worth of replicating machines being tried to be smuggled into the country by syndicates behind film piracy. Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said the seizure of these equipment and materials foiled attempts by a Hong Kong-based piracy group to set-up their own shop in the country. "It is very probable that they want to move operations from Hong Kong to the Philippines since the heat may be too great for them to operate there," Morales said. Seized were 12 containers of optical media manufacturing equipment and materials that arrived in two batches of six forty footers last May 15 and 24 at the Manila International Container Port (MICP). The agency’s X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) alerted the first shipment after scanning showed that the containers has seven replicating machines and were packed with optical media manufacturing accessories and materials. "Initial estimates for the first shipment reached to P200 million since one replicating machine is estimated to be around P20 million," said XIP chief, lawyer Lourdes Mangaoang. Four days after the inspection, customs received a letter from OMB chairman Edu Manzano providing derogatory information on the said shipment that was alerted by the XIP. "OMB chairman Manzano sought the help of the BoC to apprehend this shipment because this is connected to the optical disc piracy activities in Hong Kong," Mangaoang said. In its letter, the OMB said it denied application for license as an importer and exporter of manufacturing equipment and for import permit for the six containers since the owners were notorious for copyright infringement. The said shipments belong to Info Bright, whose owners Tsio Kei Lung and Ng Kam Fung have been sentenced by a Hongkong court for copyright offenses in the late 90’s and in 2004. Both Morales and Manzano said the sheer quantity of equipment and accessories that were attempted to be brought in the country is too big for simple “repair and maintenance" as stated by the importers in their application. Already on alert for other probable shipments by the same consignee, the X-ray team apprehended the second shipment on May 24, the same day the shipment arrived. X-ray images reveal that the second batch of shipment of six containers also contains replicating machines and materials. - GMANews.TV
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