Customs seizes P130-M smuggled sugar in Bulacan

Operatives of the Bureau of Customs raided a warehouse in Bulacan on Thursday and seized P130 million worth of sugar believed to have been smuggled from Thailand.

Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez said the sugar seizure was as “one of the biggest in recent memory.”

“This latest sugar seizure should serve as a warning to smugglers that the BoC under our watch is committed to protect the interest of local farmers who have been put at a disadvantage by the illegal importation of cheap farm produce,” Alvarez said.

According to Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Filomeno Vicencio Jr., the bags of sugar were placed in 130 containers that were “surreptitiously hidden” inside Storage Warehouse No. 88 of the Sterling Industrial Park in Barangay (village) Iba, Meycauayan City.

Representatives from the Sugar Regulatory Administration confirmed to the BoC that the contraband’s consignee who remained unidentified imported the sugar from Thailand. The SRA said it did not issue a sugar release clearance on the particular importation.

Alvarez, who accompanied Customs officials in viewing the seized sugar at around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, said that based on their “most conservative” estimate, the entire haul could fetch a retail value of about P130 million.

He noted that only a week ago, Customs operatives also seized some 26,000 bags of onions smuggled from India and China at Warehouse No. 505 located in the same industrial park.

Alvarez said Thurday’s seizure came on the heels of the 20 sugar containers confiscated at the Port of Manila and another 12 containers seized at the Manila International Container Port.

Alvarez commended Vicencio and his team composed of lawyers Christian Flores and Larribert Hilario as well as ground commanders Norberto Segunial Jr. and lawyer Floro Calixihan Jr. who led the operation.