00:00Customs Broker Mark Taguba and three others were sentenced to up to 40 years in prison.
00:10Because of their involvement, Shabu was found to be worth millions of Pesos
00:15and was exported to the country from China in 2017.
00:20Salima Refran was arrested.
00:22Seven years after discovering the five metal cylinders that contain 6.4 billion Pesos in Shabu in Valenzuela,
00:33Customs Broker Mark Taguba, Warehouse Man Fidel Anoche D, Dummy Consignee Irene Tatad, and businessman Kenneth Doe were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
00:44They were sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison for violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act
00:54such as smuggling, misdeclaration, and transportation and facilitation of smuggled goods.
01:00In the 87th page of the Consolidated Decision of Manila RTC Branch 21,
01:04it was stated through their own actions that illegal drugs should be banned in the country.
01:12Even though their names were not included in the shipping documents,
01:15according to the court, the participation of Taguba, Tatad, Doe, and D was indispensable.
01:21The shipment from China arrived in the country in May 2017.
01:25The goods were declared in the kitchen and shoes.
01:28But through a tip from the Anti-Smuggling Bureau of China,
01:32a warehouse was raided in Valenzuela in May 26, 2017.
01:36Five wooden crates with metal cylinders were discovered here.
01:40They were loaded with 602 kilograms or more than half a ton of shabu,
01:46which is worth Php 6.4 billion.
01:50According to the court, the businessman, Doe, was the one who got the goods from Taguba.
01:54He gave a list of the contents of the shipment and the details of its owner as well as the delivery address.
02:00Taguba was the one who got the goods from Tatad as a dummy consignee.
02:04He also did not pass the proper inspection of the shipment.
02:07D was not only a warehouse man but also the ultimate consignee of the shipment.
02:12D's name, contact details, and address were included in the packing list from Xiamen, China.
02:19The court found them guilty for all three charges of the prosecution.
02:25Particularly, the court found conspiracy among the accused.
02:30I think this would send a message to those who are involved in illegal importation
02:36that the law is there to punish an illegal act.
02:41The four were fined Php 50 million for each of the three violations of the Customs Act.
02:47We tried to get their punishment.
02:50Five more accused in these cases are at large.
02:54For GMA Integrated News, Salima Rafran, Katutok, 24 Horas.
03:00For GMA Integrated News, I'm Salima Rafran.
