P1.2-B worth of smuggled rice seized in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced yesterday the seizure of P1.2 billion worth of alleged smuggled rice in Cebu.

In a statement, BOC deputy commissioner Danilo Lim said they netted 1,194 units of 20-footer container vans that came in through the Port of Cebu from March 18 until April 2. It was the biggest seizure of smuggled rice for the agency.

The huge shipment was covered by 151 alert orders issued by Lim.

The estimated 500,000 sacks of alleged smuggled rice, that came from Vietnam, was consigned to eight different companies: JJM Global Trading, JM-ARS Trading, Neon Gateway Trading, Ocean Park Enterprises, Custans Enterprises, Melma Enterprises, NMW Enterprises, and MMSM Trading.

The illegal shipment were misdeclared as stone slabs, ceiling insulator slabs, granite slabs and wall insulator slabs.

“This is the biggest smuggled rice hauled in the history of the bureau. This is the mother of all smuggled rice. We’ve hit the mother lode,” said Lim who inspected the shipment with Edward de la Cuesta, district collector of BOC Port of Cebu.

The rice shipment in Cebu was bigger than the shipment also seized in Subic early this year.

“Had these illegal rice shipments been able to get through Customs gates, the government could have lost P600 million in duties and taxes,” Lim said.

They apprehended the shipment for reportedly violating provisions of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP). – With Mitchelle Palaubsanon/Freeman