BoC establishes office to monitor firearms, explosives shipments

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) said on Thursday that it has established a new unit to monitor shipments of firearms and the raw materials needed for the manufacture of ammunition, firecrackers, and explosives.

Customs Memorandum Order No. 27-2022 creates the Customs Firearms and Explosives Unit (CFEU), under the control of the Enforcement and Security Service – Enforcement Group (ESS-EG).

“The CFEU is an ad interim unit that will effectively monitor the importation and exportation of firearms and major/minor parts thereof, accessories, ammunition, and controlled chemicals used in manufacturing ammunition, firecrackers, and explosives under Presidential Decree No. 1866,” the BoC said in a statement, adding that it will also help oversee the implementation of Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

The CFEU will be headed by a chief and an assistant chief. The former is accorded to the rank equivalent to special police captain.

The new unit will also be composed of a firearms custodian, two armorers, a range officer, and two staff members.

Meanwhile, personnel from the ESS will be assigned to 17 ports of entry to serve as contact persons to the CFEU and other law enforcement agencies. — Diego Gabriel C. Robles