MORE than 600 tons of alleged smuggled steel angle bars have been confiscated by a combined team of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Intelligence Group of the Philippine National Police (IG-PNP) in two separate raids in Angeles City, Pampanga province and Santa Rosa, Laguna province.

The contraband, estimated to be worth P20 million does not bear markings for steel angle bars as certified by experts from the Steel Angles, Shapes and Sections Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc. (Sassmapi).

The composite group of the DTI Bureau of Product Standards, DTI Region 3, the IG-PNP and the Special Weapons and Tactics Group served the search warrant to the owners of the PCA Steel Trading located at A&J Rosegold Cmpd., Brgy. Cut-cut, Angeles City.

The search warrant was issued by Judge Maria Angelica Quiambao of the Regional Trial Court of Angeles City.

Inside the compound are about 300 metric tons of uncertified steel angle bars and approximately 300 metric tons of counterfeit angle bars.

Ramon Tan, spokesman of Sass-mapi and a steel angle bar expert, estimate the seized contraband to be worth P20 million in the market.

Three Chinese tourists identified as Wen Shi Nong, Wu Ji Bal and Jao Zhi Hong were invited by the PNP Intelligence Group for questioning.

While the raid was ongoing in Pampanga, another team served a search warrant issued by Judge Teo-doro Solis and conducted a buy-bust operation at the Laguna Hill Marketing Construction Supply in Brgy. Tagapo, Santa Rosa, Laguna.

The team was led by PNP Superintendent Rafi Mendoza and accompanied by DTI Provincial Chief Mo-net Arroyo, lawyer Jojo Jacob of the DTI Bureau of Product Standards and Philippine Product Safety & Quality Foundation and Sassmapi Representatives Ramon Khu and Nelson Gutierrez.

Upon inspection of the store’s stocks, the group found steel angle bars—one with LSC mark and steel angle bars that did not have any of the markings required by the mandatory steel angle standard PNS 657:2008.

The DTI representatives had asked the help of Gutierrez and Khu to assist in identifying on the thickness and sizes of the angle bars.

More than 31 tons of steel angle bars of counterfeit and alleged smuggled steel angle bars were confiscated.

All the uncertified angle bars were taken to the DTI Region 4-A designated facility while the counterfeit bars others were moved to Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Laguna for proper safekeeping and storage.

The steel angle bar industry earlier raised concerns on the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard steel angle bars in the market which pose a great risk to the public.

“These suspected smuggled steel angle bars are poorly made and pose a great risk to those who will use them in constructing their houses,“ Tan said.