CUSTOMS Commissioner Ruffy Biazon has ordered investigators to identify the people behind the smuggling of sugar in the Cebu International Port (CIP).
The Custom’s chief made the order when he visited Cebu yesterday to formally forfeit the P7-million worth of smuggled sugar in favor of the government. The shipment was consigned to locators of the Mactan Economic Zone in Lapu-Lapu City.
“We never allow freeport zones to be used by smugglers as conduit OF their illegal activities,” Biazon said.
He added the consignees of the sugar shipment from Thailand deliberately misdeclared their shipment to avoid importation requirements from the Sugar Regulatory Authority.
Five container vans with smuggled sugar consigned to Mobilla Products, Inc. were misdeclared as marble and granite products. Another five containers consigned to Muramoto Audio Visuals (Philippines), Inc. were misdeclared as plastic parts for eyeglasses.
The shipments arrived on Nov. 2 at the CIP.
Cebu Customs Collector Ronnie Silvestre said the discovery of the smuggled sugar exposed the practice of consigning illegal shipments to export processing zones and freeports to avoid paying duties and taxes
The smuggling attempt Silvestre added is “destroying the reputation and good purpose of export and freeport zones.”/Correspondent Chito O. Aragon