Smuggled rice fetches P211.7M

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs in Cebu successfully conducted the auction of 162,240 bags of seized smuggled rice yesterday amounting to more than P211.7 million or P4 million higher than the floor price of P207.6 million.

“We had a successful public bidding. The income out of the proceeds of this bidding is a big boost to our collection,” said BOC-Cebu District Collector Edward dela Cuesta.

Dela Cuesta revealed that 26 bidders registered to participate in the bidding but only 25 bidders joined the actual bidding.

The bidding were divided into 32 lots and Bulacan-based Veramar Rice Mill won lots 1 to 5 with P21,840 bags amounting to P31,588,440.00.

Intercontinental Grains International Trading won lots 10 to 13 with 20,800 bags amounting to P26,697,000.00 while RMJR won lots 6 to 9 with 20,800 bags amounting to P26,675,400.00.

Another rice trader, RPS General Merchandise won 18,200 bags worth P23,339,180.00.

Other winning rice traders based in Cebu and Davao include Para Cao General Merchandise (P13,347,100 for 10,400 bags); San Isidro (P13,335,140 for 10,400 bags); Boss Marsing (P13,336,700 for P10,400 bags); MNPS, DSIDC, ETB Agro Commercial Trading, Angel Gabriel Trading, Pacific Rim, Queen Car Agricultural Store and Queen Mary Bakeshop won 5,200 bags each for an amount between P6,666,400.00 to P6,682,000.00

Nursery Farmers from General Santos City won Lot 19 with 2,600 bags worth P3,328,000.00.

Atty. Dante Maranan, Chief of the Auction and Disposal Unit said the next bidding will be held on August 22, for the 271 container vans loaded with more or less 140,920 bags of rice.

The auctioned rice was part of the 520,000 seized smuggled rice by the bureau last April that were loaded in the 1,069 container vans from Vietnam with an estimated total value of over P950 million to P1 billion.

It was dubbed as the “mother of all smuggled rice”.

The said shipment was misdeclared as stone and wooden slabs.

BOC-Cebu already earned around P40 million during its first auction in June.

Dela Cuesta added that a fourth auction for the remaining 436 container vans loaded with more or less 226,720 is tentatively scheduled in September this year.

However, dela Cuesta said, the bags of rice are now be lesser after the reported pilferage of  272 bags of rice at the container yard of the Cebu International Port.

Some bags were also damaged due to the rains that sipped into the container vans. —  /MBG (FREEMAN)