Two customs brokers were arrested in an entrapment operation for allegedly extorting an additional P1.9 million from a local freight forwarder, posing as bribe money for the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The suspects, Wyeth Lara Navales and her sister Leila, were caught at a coffee shop in Ermita, Manila.
The operation was conducted by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Services (CIIS) at the Manila International Container Port, with the National Bureau of Investigation-Anti-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI-AOTCD). The victim, Kenji Otsuka of Otsuka Freight Forwarders, had earlier paid ₱500,000 as an “all-inclusive” fee.
According to Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy, Wyeth Navales allegedly claimed that Otsuka’s shipment would be placed on hold and face a Warrant of Seizure and Detention unless an additional P1.9 million was paid. The money was purportedly intended as “grease money” to secure the shipment’s release.
CIIS Director Verne Enciso said the swift action was necessary after the complaint was filed on June 2, with the suspects setting a deadline of June 3. The entrapment was successfully executed within 24 hours.
BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio welcomed the arrests and said it could help expose a longstanding modus among rogue brokers. “This will help restore the reputation of our officers and protect honest businesses from exploitation,” Rubio added. The suspects face charges of robbery with violence through extortion under the Revised Penal Code.