P19 million worth of smuggled sugar seized

Authorities confiscated P19 million worth of smuggled sugar at the Manila International Container Port recently, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Friday. The DA is now preparing to file charges against Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading, the shipment’s consignee, for the misdeclaration and misclassification of the cargo, according to Agriculture Assistant Secretary James Layug. The seized shipment was initially declared as insulators, surge arresters, slippers outsoles and styrene butadiene rubber but actually contained refined cane sugar. The shipment which came in five containers was placed on hold order last Nov. 29, 2022 at the DA’s request. Early this month, the DA confiscated P78.9 million worth of smuggled agricultural goods in the same port. —Jordeene B. Lagare