The Bureau of Customs examiners found refined sugar worth a total of P23,847,000. (Stock photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized over P23.8 million worth of smuggled refined sugar from Hong Kong at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) amid the agency’s crackdown against the smuggling of agricultural products.
In a statement on Friday, the BOC said the shipment was originally declared to contain insulators, surge arrester, slipper outsoles and Styrene Butadiene rubber from Hong Kong consigned to Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading.
However, upon physical examination on Jan. 11, examiners found refined sugar (MTRL PHOL – Thailand and GULA EPX PRAI BRAND – Malaysia) worth a total of P23,847,000.
The BOC said the operation began on Dec. 2 last year after the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-MICP (CIIS-MICP) under Intelligence Officer 3 Alvin Enciso requested for the issuance of an alert order (AO) on a shipment consigned to Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading.
The AO was then issued on Dec. 6 based on the information that the shipment is “suspected to contain agricultural products, misdeclared and undeclared items.”
BOC Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz lamented the continuous attempts from smugglers to bring undeclared agricultural products into the country.
However, he lauded the teamwork with other government agencies.
“Our targeted examinations and close work with the DA (Department of Agriculture) and their attached agencies yielded significant quantities of smuggled agricultural products these recent months and helped protect Philippines agriculture from the economic impact that smuggling carries,” Ruiz said.
The BOC said officials from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), were also at the site of the inspection after derogatory information reached both agencies that there are possible illegal drugs in the shipment consigned to Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading.
The shipment is currently undergoing PDEA K9 paneling and small baggage xray.
The BOC said consignee will face charges for the possible violation of Sec. 1400 (misdeclaration in goods declaration) in relation to Sec. 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.