The Department of Transportation has requested the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the entry of two expensive Bugatti Chiron cars, which were registered with the Land Transportation Office.
In a letter dated Feb. 29, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista requested NBI Director Merardo De Limos’ assistance in conducting a possible criminal and administrative probe on the alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles, and to determine the liability of those involved.
According to Bautista, the LTO-National Capital Region already investigated the matter and it was discovered that “documentary and procedural irregularities appear to surround the eventual registration of these luxury vehicles.”
The transport chief said he had already tasked the agency’s Assistant Secretary for Road Transport and Non-Infrastructure and Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation to check on the LTO-NCR’s registration process for luxury vehicles.
Recently, operatives from the NBI and Bureau of Customs (BOC) recovered the luxury vehicles from a posh subdivision in Muntinlupa City.
Documents from the LTO-NCR showed that the Bugatti Chiron sports car cost only P1 million apiece, but the commercial invoice issued by the Avion Shipping Co. of Hong Kong indicated the amount at $255,000 (about P14.3 million).
The registration papers also purported that the import duties paid for each car was P24,787,838.82 based on the certificate of payment (CP) issued to the import firm Frebel by the Bureau of Customs. The CP is required for the registration of imported vehicles with the LTO.
Customs officials, during a recent Senate hearing on the matter, placed the commercial value of a 2023 Bugatti Chiron sports coupe at P65 million.
“The Sales Invoice Nos. 1859 and 1860 issued by Frebel Import and Export Corp., dated May 30, 2023 sold the two (2) Bugatti in the amount of one million pesos, not indicating the VATable sale, VAT Exempt Sale, Zero rated Sale, Total Sale, and 12% Value Added Tax,” a report on the internal probe read in part.