Taguig Shop Denies Smuggling Luxury Cars
MANILA, Philippines — The owner of a car shop in Taguig raided by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in February has refuted claims of importing and smuggling luxury vehicles.
In a letter sent to The Philippine STAR on March 4, the lawyer for Auto Vault Speed Shop stated the company “has never been involved in the importation or sale of motor vehicles.”
“Autovault is a corporation duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is engaged in providing car detailing and maintenance services to its customers,” the letter said.
The lawyer further clarified that the luxury cars inspected by the BOC are “all privately owned vehicles and mostly purchased from local dealerships.”
“In fact, the conduction plates or stickers are still attached to these vehicles, displaying the name of the dealership from where they were purchased,” Auto Vault’s legal counsel added.
Alvin Enciso, chief of the BOC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, confirmed that Auto Vault provides car detailing and repair services. He added that the shop failed to mention it was also offering parking services for luxury cars for P15,000.
Based on the shop’s website, it offers a storage facility equipped with a closed-circuit television system for luxury vehicles.
Enciso led the team that raided the shop in Barangay Ususan on Feb. 20. The BOC found 44 allegedly smuggled cars valued at P900 million during the operation.
