Smuggled rice and sugar seized

MANILA, March 22 (PIA)--Customs chief Angelito Alvarez has ordered the seizure of 20 containers of glutinous rice and 12 containers of white sugar which were misdeclared by the importer as office supplies and exercise equipment.

The contraband with a combined dutiable value of P42 million was consigned to Berina Agri-Business & General Merchandise, a company based in Binan, Laguna, a news release posted on the BOC website stated.

Alvarez said the imported sugar was sourced from Singapore while the rice shipments came from Thailand and Vietnam.

A delegation from the Congressional Oversight Committee on the Physical Examination of Imported Articles (COCPEIA) headed by Congressman Hermilando Mandanas, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, witnessed the opening and viewing of the confiscated containers at the Manila International Container Port Thursday last week.

Other members of Congress present were Congressmen Tomas Apacible, Rodolfo Farinas, Cesar Sarmiento, and Reynaldo Umali.

Alvarez ordered assistant commissioner Rolando Ligon Jr., officer-in-charge of the agency’s Post-Entry Audit Group (PEAG) to subject to post-entry audit all previous importations made by Berina Agri-Business.

He said the company’s liability could increase by several billion pesos more if it could be shown that it had used the same modus operandi in the past.

(Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=23650)