FILE PHOTO Personnel of the Bureau of Customs inspect the sacks of alleged misdeclared refined sugar that arrived at the port of Subic in this photo taken on Thursday, March 2. (Picture from BOC)
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized over P34 million worth of smuggled refined sugar from Hong Kong at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) in Manila.
The bureau reported the shipment arrived on May 27.
It was initially declared to contain 100,000 kilograms of silica sand in each container, consigned to Smile Agri Ventures Inc.
However, a spot-check examination of five containers revealed “misdeclared and undeclared” Thailand refined sugar estimated to be worth of P17,250,000.
Five more containers of the same agricultural product, projected to be also worth around P17,250,000, are scheduled for examination.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said examinations took place when Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) Field Station-MICP requested the issuance of Pre-Lodgment Orders (PLOs) last June 30.
– With Kirsten Segui, Inquirer.net trainee
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