Customs seizes P60M worth of smuggled sugar, firecrackers in Subic

Some P60 million worth of smuggled sugar and firecrackers were seized Friday by the Bureau of Customs in its port in Subic.

District Collector Maritess Martin ordered an examination of the 35x40 containers which arrived from Hong Kong on March 31 and April 7 after receiving information on misdeclared items.

The 34 containers, said to be consigned to JRFP International Trading, were supposed to contain floor mats and plastic floor coverings.

But Customs officers found 21,760 bags of Thailand refined sugar and several boxes of firecrackers.

A warrant of seizure and detention was issued against the shipments on April 12.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero immediately ordered the revocation of the customs accreditation of both the importer and the customs broker.

He said appropriate charges will be filed against them for violation of Section 1401 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

“We will not allow illicit traders to continue to violate our laws.  The Bureau of Customs is consistently working on boosting our anti-smuggling measures through the acquisition of upgraded tools for inspection and examination and close coordination with our partner-agencies such as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to beef up our fight against smuggling,” Guerrero was quoted in the statement as saying.

Customs officials, in the presence of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority – Law Enforcement Division (SBMA-LED), earlier conducted a thorough search to determine presence of illegal drugs inside the containers.

SBMA-LED’s K9 sniffing dogs, which were used to inspect the containers, did not find any drugs.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) commended the BOC-Port of Subic for its immediate action that led to the seizure of the smuggled sugar, saying it will have an adverse effect if ever it was able to enter the market. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News