[ BOC MEMORANDUM, September 17, 1999 ]

GUIDELINES IN THE CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS AGAINST TARGETED SHIPMENTS



I
Concept

Certain importations from identified sources shall be targeted to effectively stem the influx of contraband goods and/or undeclared and misdeclared articles.

For this purpose, certain Offices in this Bureau shall work very closely together and be well coordinated to accomplish the task.

Setting of targets shall be made by the Commissioner of Customs.

II
Tasking

A. The Deputy Commissioner, IEG:
A.1 Shall exercise day to day supervision and control over all the Offices/personnel deployed for this purpose.

A.2 Shall set up an Operations Control Center (OPCON) to effect coordination, control and receive feedback from the operating units.

A.3 Shall issue the necessary orders and perform acts as necessary to ensure that the missions of the participating offices/units are carried out effectively.

A.4 Shall effect coordination with the Narcotics Group, PNP for the service of sniffer dogs for deployment.
B. Directors, CIIS/ESS (or their duly authorized representatives)
B.1 Shall provide the necessary personnel for this particular purpose.

B.2 Shall immediately extend assistance to any operating unit as may be requested.

B.3 Shall provide necessary authority for the personnel to board vessel as may be necessary.

B.4 Upon the receipt of the report of the Chief, PID and after counterchecking/validating the report of the Chief, PID on the origin of the targeted container, OPCON shall issue the necessary alerts for 100% examination of the shipment.

B.5 By any available means, establish the origin of containers, whether or not its source is correct as established by PID or if not established by PID whether its source would call for it to be targeted.
C. Chiefs, PID, MICP and POM
C.1 Shall provide OPCON with the schedule, names and other details of targeted vessels.

C.2 Shall determine from the manifest and/or such other documents the origin of the container vans, container number, measurement (1 x 20 or 1 x 40), B/L number, name of consignee, weight, name of exporter and other details and relay the same to OPCON within four hours from the time vessel is boarded. Copy thereof shall be furnished the Chief, Customs Container Control Division (CCCD).

C.3 Shall effectively coordinate with ESS/CIIS agents who might be projected on the vessel.

C.4 Shall track and monitor the movement of the targeted container(s).

C.5 Shall, with the assistance of ESS and CIIS, see to it that the targeted containers are at all times accounted for and not tampered with until physical examination shall have been conducted.
D. Chiefs, Formal Entry Division (POM/MICP)
D.1 Shall, as soon as the alert order is received, assign the COO III who will conduct the examination.

D.2 Shall supervise the examination of the shipment as soon as possible, as provided for by existing regulations.

D.3 Shall be responsible in monitoring and submitting to OPCON the results of the 100% examination.

D.4 Shall downgrade all targeted shipments from the yellow to the red lane and instruct DEA to conduct 100% examination. COOV at DEA shall inform the components of ESS/CIIS at DEA that a particular shipment is a targeted shipment and that they should witness its 100% examination.
E. Import Specialist Team (IST) (POM/MICP)
E.1 Shall, upon receipt of the copy of the entry from EEC together with all documents filed with the entry, determine thru the invoice, CRF, packing list or any such document, whether the shipment is a targeted shipment.

E.2 Immediately, the Head IST shall inform OPCON (in the case of POM) or the authorized representative of either the Director, ESS or CIIS, (at MICP) so that an alert can be issued against the shipment.
General Instructions:
  1. The Deputy Commissioner, IEG, shall see to it that no delay is caused on targeted shipments.

  2. Adjustment in the number of personnel deployed will be on the need basis and the Deputy Commissioner, IEG will have the final decision unless otherwise countermanded by the undersigned.

  3. Full coordination and cooperation by all concerned is desired.

  4. The assignment of any personnel to this project shall have precedence over any other unless legally impossible in which case the Head/Chief of Unit concerned shall immediately assign a substitute.

  5. Targeted shipments that are destined for transshipment shall nevertheless be spot-checked and 100% examination shall be conducted at the Port of destination. The Collector of Customs thereat shall submit a Report of Findings to the Deputy Commissioner, IEG. The conduction guard of transshipments overload shall see to it that the shipment reaches its destination without any intervention from anyone.

  6. No transfers shall be made of targeted shipment to outside CY/CFS without prior examination. The Deputy District Collector for Operation (MICP and POM) shall be directly responsible for this matter.

  7. The Deputy Commissioner, IEG is hereby authorized to request assistance from any official or personnel of this Bureau and such assistance shall be extended.
Operating Instructions:
  1. PID shall pinpoint target shipments and submit the list thereof to OPCON within four hours from boarding.

  2. Chief, FED shall submit a list to OPCON of shipments selected as red and yellow on a daily basis.

  3. IST shall submit to OPCON the list of targeted shipments in the green channel.

  4. OPCON shall write off from the list submitted by PID, ESS and CIIS the targeted shipments as appearing in the list submitted by FED and IST concerned.

  5. Any targeted shipment not written off shall be subjected to alert which shall be issued by the Deputy Commissioner, IEG.

  6. Once a targeted shipment is discovered in the green channel by the IST (POM/MICP), the Head of IST shall inform the Office of the Commissioner (for POM) or the Deputy Collector for Operations (for MICP) so that the super user duty stop can be activated.

  7. It is understood that once the super user duty stop is activated, the shipment shall be rerouted to the red channel.
For strict compliance.

Adopted: 17 Sept. 1999

(SGD.) NELSON A. TAN
Commissioner