October 2, 2021 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of bags of coins and five luxury cars were recovered at a house in Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City yesterday.
Operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) raided the house and confiscated coins, estimated to be worth P50 million, and the luxury cars, which were reported to have a combined value of P100 million.
The raid is the culmination of two months of surveillance, the NBI said.
There were supposedly 11 luxury cars, all without license plates and conduction stickers, that operatives said had been parked at the house during their surveillance.
Law enforcers said the coins may have been used for illegal gambling and money laundering.
Authorities padlocked the house and ordered the owners, who were not named, to prove within 15 days that their possession of the coins and cars was not illegal.
Produce seized
Meanwhile, the BOC confiscated P4.75 million worth of agricultural products smuggled into the country and sold in two warehouses in Tondo, Manila on Wednesday.
In a statement yesterday, Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Raniel Ramiro said the BOC’s Intelligence Group and the Manila International Container Port found P4 million worth of red and yellow onions, carrots, ginger, garlic and broccoli in a warehouse on Carmen Planas street.
The BOC also confiscated red onions and garlic with a street value of P750,000 from a warehouse on Bilbao street in another operation. – Robertzon Ramirez
