Intelligence operatives from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated more than 13,000 sacks of imported sugar with an estimated worth of P34 million at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) after they were found to have been misdeclared.
Intelligence Group (IG) Deputy Commissioner Jesse Dellosa said 24 forty-foot equivalent units (FEUs) containing around 13,200 sacks of imported Thai sugar arrived at MICP. Twenty-one of the containers were consigned to Blue Chelsea and came from Beijing, China, while the other three were consigned to Real Top and were sent in from Singapore.
The shipments were reportedly misdeclared as vacuum flasks, plastic tumblers, kitchen wares, slippers, plastic tumblers, combs, chessboards, plastic cases, children’s bikes, plastic chopsticks, sunglasses, plastic trays, paper cups, toothbrushes, storage boxes, and various articles of clothing such as shorts, socks, caps, trousers, etc.
“We put the containers on alert status based on derogatory information. After conducting 100% examination we found thousands of sacks of imported Thai sugar concealed behind boxes of items declared in the manifest like plastic tumblers, vacuum flasks, etc. strategically located in front of the container van to hide its true content,” Dellosa explained.
“We were also alerted because of the weight of the container vans. They were so heavy despite the contents declared by the importers as only as kitchen wares, clothes, and toys. If it were only plastic items and clothes it wouldn’t be that heavy,” Dellosa added.
Just last month, BOC, through its Enforcement Group (EG), also seized eight FEUs of reportedly illegally imported Thai sugar consigned to Real Top Enterprises. BOC received an alert after Task Force Pantalan intercepted a trailer truck containing an FEU of suspected smuggled sugar consigned also to Real Top Enterprises.
Meanwhile, five collection districts of BOC generated P346.56 million from the start of the year to July 21 from the sale of illegally imported shipments forfeited in favor of the government.
The five collection districts are Port of Manila with P81.35 million, MICP with P145.68 million, Port of Batangas with P32.36 million, Port of Zamboanga with P70.57 million, and Port of Davao with P16.58 million.
The various auctions freed up 491 containers that BOC returned to their shipping lines so the empty containers could be reused, BOC said.
“We are pleased that in addition to the revenues for the government, these public auctions of forfeited goods have also helped in freeing the ports of congestion,” Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina said in a statement.
“We will continue to expedite the disposition of forfeited shipments in the coming months. In fact Port of Manila is slated to conduct an auction sale of seized items in Warehouse 159 which is undergoing inventory and segregation of confiscated items for auction and for disposal,” Lina added.
Recently, the collection districts of MICP and Port of Zamboanga generated a combined record sale of P164.8 million from the auction of seized rice.
In a public auction held last July 15, the BOC-MICP sold 103,746 sacks or 5.18 million kilograms of white and glutinous rice for P94.2 million, while BOC-Port of Zamboanga auctioned off 146,984 sacks or 3.74 million kilograms of white and glutinous rice last May 28, gaining additional revenue of P70.57 million.
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