By Lorenzo Dela Cerna

CEBU City – Cebu Customs Police District Supervisor Major Alfonzo Abarriao believes proper procedure on the seizure and holding of the Chinese national who brought in HK$1 million into the country was not observed.

He said the Customs police will be exonerated on the controversy if an in-depth investigation will be conducted.

Port of Cebu Customs District Collector Ronnie Silvestre is expected to arrive today from a conference in Davao City and will order for a deeper investigation on the escape of Zhang Ji Feng who had fled to Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Abarriao said the examiner should have immediately took custody of the money and Zhang’s passport and conduct an inventory of the items in the presence of the passenger, Customs police, store keeper, airport personnel, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Section of the Bureau of Customs and other witnesses.

“After which, the subject and the evidences should be turned over to the Customs police for further investigation. And the inventory report should specifically state the currency, quantity and the serial number of the currency,” he added.

Abarriao said the Customs police were only informed by the examiner through a written report that they took custody of the money enclosed in an envelope.

Bureau of Immigration and Deportation 7 (BID-7) records showed that Zhang departed to Hong Kong from Manila on board Philippine Airlines flight PR 306.

BID-7 Alien Control Officer Casimero Madarang Jr., however, told Panay News that he cannot ascertain what time Zhang departed. He suspects it was 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

It was not also known what time Zhang left from Cebu to Manila.

Zhang and his interpreter, Danny Ho, arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) on March 7 on board Cebu Pacific flight CX-921 from Hong Kong. Zheng carried the bag containing the HK$1 million.

Customs Examiner Lito Ajos discovered the money during a physical examination. The bag did not pass through the X-ray machine since it was not working.

At the current rate exchange of P5.20 to HK$1, the money seized has an equivalent amount of P5.2 million.

Ajos held the money based on BSP Circular 308 that “Any person who brings into or out of the Philippines foreign currency in excess of US$10,000 or its equivalent is required to declare the same in writing and to furnish information on the source and purpose of the transportation of such currency.”

Capt. George Macarubbo, commander of the Customs Police at the Subport of Mactan, explained that they were not able to arrest Zhang since the suspect was not around. Zhang’s passports and travel documents were also not in their possession plus the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office was closed when Zhang was held for investigation.

He related it was he who requested for an inventory of the seized item and he called Zhang, MCIA Passenger Service Collector Fe Toring, Ajos, and Lucky Star Treasury head Joana Marie Nolasco Aquino on Sunday morning.

But, Macarubbo said, after taking the lunch break, Zhang never came back and it was Aquino who appeared in behalf of the Chinese national./PN