Zamboanga City police seize 300 sacks of smuggled rice

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Police on Tuesday afternoon seized 300 sacks of smuggled rice that were being transported through a Zamboanga City barangay in a small utility truck.

Chief Inspector Helen Galvez, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 9 (PRO), said personnel of Zamboanga City's Police Station 8 first intercepted a truck loaded with 200 sacks rice in the coastal Barangay Sinunuc around 4:45 p.m.

Galvez said that, during inspection, police personnel found ‘Sun Rise Plus AAA’ rice, which has been identified as among the smuggled rice being slipped into the southern part of the country.

She said further investigation by the police led them to another 100 sacks of the same brand of smuggled rice in a vacant lot.

Galvez said a certain Al-neshar Usman, a resident of Barangay Sinunuc, who claimed to be the owner, told police that he bought the sacks of rice from Jolo, Sulu. He did not have a recipt but showed a photocopy of an official receipt from the Bureau of Customs in Jolo.

The receipt indicated a certain Hamid Mubin of Jolo paid Customs P 40,000 on April 19, 2018.

Galvez said police immediately seized the smuggled rice and brought the sacks to Police Station 8. They will be turned over to the Customs bureau.

Meanwhile, Naval Force Western Mindanao has created an inter-agency task force for the inventory of the more than 27,000 sacks of smuggled rice that was seized from Mongolian-flagged bulk carrier Diamond 8 off Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay the other week. 

The NFWM said the unloading and transfer of the smuggled rice for inventory has been delayed as Customs was not able to provide laborers and trucks immediately.

Ens. Jesca Viduya, NFWM public affairs officer, said the unloading only started Wednesday at the Majini Pier of Camp Romulo Espaldon Naval Station. Rice was temporarily stocked at the naval station gym for inventory.

The Navy said no one has so far and came forward to them to claim ownership of the smuggled rice.