Authorities arrested a licensed customs broker and her sister in an entrapment operation after allegedly demanding P1.9 million from a businessman for the release of balikbayan boxes containing goods sent by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday, June 4, identified the suspects as Wyeth Navalles, a licensed customs broker, and her sister Leila. They were arrested the day before at a coffee shop in Manila by operatives from the NBI’s Organized and Transnational Crimes Division (NBI-OTCD), in coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
According to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, the operation was launched after businessman Kenji Ochakosan reported that Navalles tried to extort P1.9 million in alleged “grease money” to release his shipment, which included balikbayan boxes worth approximately P600,000.
“When we learned that the complaint involves balikbayan boxes, we became even more interested,” Santiago said, adding that OFW packages are often targeted by unscrupulous individuals.
The complainant told authorities he had agreed to pay Navalles a total of P500,000 for handling his importation. Of that amount, P220,938 had already been paid for customs duties and taxes. However, Navalles reportedly claimed there was a misdeclaration and demanded the additional P1.9 million to allegedly pay off officials from the BOC, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The NBI and BOC are now conducting further investigations to determine the full extent of the scheme and identify possible accomplices within government agencies.
Santiago vowed, “We will investigate thoroughly how far this syndicate’s reach goes, especially since OFW shipments are being exploited.”
