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BOC-Subic foiled on March 2 an attempt to smuggle P150 million worth of refined sugar into the country by wrongly declaring the commodity
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The sugar, packed in 30,000 sacks, was found by a BOC-led inspection team that inspected 58 containers that arrived in Subic Bay Freeport Zone
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The misdeclared commodity was intercepted following a tip-off by the Department of Agriculture
An apparent refined sugar smuggling bid foiled by the Bureau of Customs-Port of Subic on March 2 yielded more than 30,000 sacks of the commodity worth an estimated P150 million that had been misdeclared as another product, BOC said in a press release.
Officials acting on a tip-off from the Department of Agriculture (DA) intercepted the commodity after the shipment, loaded in 58 containers, arrived in Subic Bay Freeport Zone in Olongapo City, Zambales.
The BOC press release neither identified the consignees of the shipment nor said whether any suspect had been arrested.
Early on, District Collector Maritess Martin issued pre-lodgement control orders and alert orders after receiving derogatory information from the DA that Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio had passed on to her.
Rubio, Martin, Agriculture Assistant Secretary James Layug, and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman and administrator Rolen C. Paulino then led an inspection team that would examine the shipment.
When the containers were opened, they yielded refined sugar. The value of the commodity was estimated at P150 million.
BOC said a warrant of seizure and detention would be issued against the entire shipment for violation of Section 1400 about Section 1113 (f) of the Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and Sugar Regulatory Authority and BOC Joint Memorandum Order No. 04-2002.
The Port of Subic has been under tight watch by the authorities since August 18 last year, when another sugar smuggling bid foiled by Customs netted 140,000 bags or 7,021 metric tons of imported sugar from Thailand with total tax payment valued at P45.62 million.
Six officials of BOC-Subic relieved of their posts were accused of involvement in the attempt, but they were reinstated after an investigation found no evidence to link them to the case.
Meanwhile, BOC officials examining two containers of squid rings found instead several wrongly declared assorted frozen meat products valued at around P40 million.
BOC will also issue a warrant of seizure and detention against the two containers for violation of pertinent provisions of the CMTA, said BOC.
“The BOC continues to maximize its intelligence resources and intensify enforcement measures to thwart all attempts of smuggling, especially those involving agricultural products that negatively impact our local farmers and businesses,” said Rubio.
“It has always been a priority of the BOC to protect local consumers against the health hazards posed by these illegally imported goods,” he added.
