- The Bureau of Customs seized P23.847 million worth of smuggled refined sugar at the Manila International Container Port
- The shipment from Hong Kong was initially declared to contain insulators, surge arresters, slipper outsoles, and Styrene Butadiene rubber
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P23.847 million worth of smuggled refined sugar from Hong Kong at the Manila International Container Port.
The shipment was initially declared to contain insulators, surge arresters, slipper outsoles, and Styrene Butadiene rubber consigned to Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading.
Upon physical examination on January 11, examiners found refined sugar (MTRL PHOL-Thailand and GULA EPX PRAI BRAND-Malaysia).
“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 smuggling carries,” Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said in a statement.
The operation began on December 2, 2022, after the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-MICP requested the issuance of an Alert Order (AO) on a shipment consigned to Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading.
The Office of District Collector – MICP issued the AO on December 6, 2022, based on information that the shipment was “suspected of containing agricultural products, misdeclared and undeclared items.”
BOC in the last few months have “faced a significant amount of attempts to traffic prohibited items, including agricultural products, into the country despite the work being done by our dedicated team. Smuggling these items is a serious offense, but these recent operations by the bureau demonstrate the lengths smugglers will go to for their financial gain,” said Customs Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy.
Using multiple law enforcement tools enabled Customs officers to foil the illegal operation, according to CIIS Director Jeoffrey Tacio.
Officials from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), led by director general Moro Virgilio Lazo, were also at the inspection site after derogatory information that the shipment contained illegal drugs.
The shipment is going through PDEA K9 paneling and small baggage x-ray.
It will undergo seizure and forfeiture proceedings for 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 (CMTA).
The case records will be referred to the Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers for filing of corresponding criminal cases before the Department of Justice for violation of Section 1401 of the CMTA.
In a separate statement, DA assistant Secretary James Layug said the agency is now preparing to file legal charges against shipment consignee Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading for misdeclaration and misclassification of the shipment. The importation is also in violation of the Food Safety Act of 2013 (Republic Act No. 10611) and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 (Republic Act No. 10845).
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