The Bureau of Customs (BoC) in the Philippines has recently made headlines with the seizure of two Bugatti Chiron hypercars that were smuggled into the country. This development comes after an intensive effort by the authorities to locate and retrieve the illegally imported luxury vehicles.
The second Bugatti Chiron was successfully recovered just days after the owner voluntarily surrendered the first car. This surrender came following weeks of diligent searching by the Bureau of Customs for both sports cars.
Authorities suspect that the two Chirons were brought into the Philippines without the necessary taxes and importation documentation. Consequently, the BoC had previously issued a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) against these vehicles.
The owner of the hypercars, whose identity remains undisclosed, turned over a red Bugatti Chiron earlier, prompted by the Customs’ offer of cash rewards to individuals providing information leading to the location of the unlawfully imported vehicles. Each of these luxury cars is estimated to be worth around $3 million.
In response to these developments, the Bureau of Customs released a statement expressing satisfaction with the collaborative efforts that led to the recovery. They emphasized the significance of such actions in their ongoing efforts to combat various forms of smuggling and ensure the security of the country’s borders.
Moreover, investigations revealed that neither of the two smuggled Bugatti Chirons was registered under the online Land Transportation Management System (LTMS), as confirmed by the service provider of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) portal.
The provider explained that the stringent security measures of LTMS would have prevented the registration of these vehicles.
The hunt for these hypercars began after a video went viral, showcasing the two Bugatti Chirons racing on roads in Muntinlupa and Cavite, prompting the BoC to initiate a thorough search operation.
