Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: Car Smuggling...

One of the things that drives me up the wall in my life is car smuggling. A few years ago in the Philippines, the former president of the Philippines (sorry, I can't tell his/her name) destroyed smuggled luxury cars to teach those smugglers a lesson.

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnqJmMO91kw

I think that even with government measures, car smuggling is still out there. Well, countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, even Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or Bangladesh, they always LOVE to smuggle cars. In the Philippines, well, we're obsessed with Korean cars. Let's put it an example; there was a new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe was launched in South Korea but the official Hyundai distributor in the Philippines said they don't have plans to introduce it. Then, smugglers in the Philippines such as PITSTOP MOTORS or HANCARS, are trying to get their hands on the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe.

In the Philippines, how come they tend to smuggle expensive sports cars like Aston Martin, Bentley, Lotus, or any other brand that wasn't been arrived in the Philippines?

Full List of available cars in the Philippines: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cars_of_the_Philippines 

Another example is the cars like the Toyota Alphard or Vellfire. In Malaysia, Toyota will not sell either the Alphard or Vellfire on that country but guess what? Malaysians love to smuggle those Alphard or Vellfire models! Not only that, MALAYSIANS love to smuggle other Japanese cars not sold in their country such as the Toyota Harrier or the Honda Elysion! Same case here in Thailand or Indonesia, well the Alphard is available on those countries but not the Vellfire. Even when the Toyota Vellfire was not available in Thailand or Indonesia, they tend to smuggle one for keeps! Isn't that annoying?

There's another example of those car smuggling fiasco though. Remember the Toyota Caldina? It's the JDM sport wagon we really love but it's gone when it was discontinued in 2007. That car wasn't intended to be sold outside Japan but what's a Caldina doing in Russia, Malaysia, or Australia? I'm afraid that's SMUGGLED. A smuggled Caldina! How awful was that? A car that was never intended to be sold outside its home market gets smuggled by idiots from different countries.

I really hate car smugglers. Don't you agree? Well, according to the Bureau of Customs, Motor Vehicles were no. 3 of the top 5 goods that were carefully monitored. The first was oil, resins were second, steel were fourth, and 5th was ceramics. How can you spot a smuggled car? Well, it takes paperwork and a few evidence to figure it out if a car was smuggled or not and that's a bit too boring for a process so, how can you figure it out of a new car was smuggled or not? There are so many answers to tell but for the fun of it; the only thing to figure it out if the car was smuggled is the car that is NOT available in your country. Like I said, there are examples such as the Toyota Vellfire. Yes, it's not available in Malaysia but the question is, what's that Toyota Vellfire doing in the streets of Malaysia? There is only one answer; IT'S SMUGGLED! How about the Hyundai Veloster perhaps? Sure, it's not available in the Philippines because of its GDi engine won't work in that country but question is....what's that doing in the Philippines? HARI said they're not selling it you know. I'm afraid that it's SMUGGLED. SMUGGLED, SMUGGLED, SMUGGLED! Why would idiots prefer to smuggle some cars that are not available in the Philippines? Has the Bureau of Customs losing the fight?

I once read an article from the Top Gear Philippines website, when the moment Noynoy Aquino because the Philippine president, the car industry has their own wish list and the two of these were one of my favorites such as this....

"The influx of gray-market imports has to be curbed. Besides the questionable conversion from right-hand to left-hand drive, these gray-market importers have no facilities, they don't pay the correct taxes, they artificially inflate the figures of newly-registered cars in the Land Transportation Office. This has to stop as it's killing the local car industry." - Greg Yu, chairman of CATS Motors, Inc. (Mercedes-Benz)

"The importation of used cars from Japan, America, and other countries must be stopped. These vehicles don't comply with the local regulations, and the conversion of the steering wheel from right-hand drive to left-hand drive is questionable. From my experience, there is no such thing as a bolt-on kit that can easily convert the steering wheel's orientation " - Taizo Furuhashi, executive vice president for marketing of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp.

Source: http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/car-industry-reveals-wish-list-for-pres-aquino

Wait a minute...Mr. Taizo Furuhashi from Mitsubishi Motors Philippines said that importation of used cars must be stopped? Sounds convincing but how come some idiots keep on smuggling used cars from Japan, America, and other countries? Who would even smuggle a used car not available in the Philippines? (laughing) And wait! What Mr. Greg Yu from CATS Motors said? Gray-market importers, or should I say car smugglers, have no facilities, they don't pay the correct taxes and they artificially inflate the figures of newly-registered cars in the Land Transportation Office? Oh dear! (laughing) They were right! Car smuggling has to stop but it's still pandemic! Car smuggling spreads like wildfire!

Someone told me that his ex-fiance's dad drove a Hummer in the Philippines and he said that car is legal. Really? Remember, there wasn't a Hummer distributor in the Philippines. Remember Gerald Anderson's Hummer revealed to be smuggled? Remember Willie Revilliame's Ferrari revealed to be smuggled? Yep, true stories because these cars are not available in the Philippines and this is trespassing. It's like jumping over the border and that's unlawful. You know what to do when you see a smuggled car? Well, destroy it, just like during the Arroyo years in the Philippines! (laughing)

Let that be a lesson. For those idiots in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other countries that were addicted to car smuggling; NO CAR SMUGGLING, PLEASE. Smuggled cars don't comply to their local laws.

See you next time!