BOC: P400M worth of smuggled rice, other products seized in Tondo warehouses raids
BY You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized around P400 million worth of rice and other imported products in another anti-smuggling operations on three warehouses in Tondo, Manila.
BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio said the confiscated items include 36,086 sacks of rice imported from Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar with an estimated amount of P90.2 million.
“While our government and kababayans scramble to make rice cheaper and more accessible, these businesses are possibly smuggling and hoarding them, which further adversely impacts our efforts to bring the prices down,” said Rubio.
An agent of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) checks the sacks of rice which are part of the P400 million worth of smuggled products discovered in a raid on three wahouses in Tondo, Manila on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (photo: BOC)
The BOC has further intensified the campaign against smuggling of rice and other agricultural products following an order from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. amid reports of smuggling and hoarding, particularly of rice.
Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy said the operation stemmed from the confirmed intelligence reports that rice and other smuggled items are being stored in warehouses in Tondo.
Armed with a Letter of Authority (LOA) signed by Rubio, agents of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) swooped down on the three warehouses located on Antonio Rivera St. and Dagupan St. in Tondo on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Upon arrival at the warehouses, the team presented the LOAs to the warehouse representatives before proceeding to inspect the storage areas.
Of the P400.2 million worth of goods found, P310 million were imported miscellaneous goods, such as children’s toys, cosmetics, kitchenware, household wares, videoke machine, fabrics, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, shoes, apparel, and general merchandise.
“We were expecting to find rice, but it was still disappointing to see tens of thousands of sacks of rice in these storage areas, especially since our very own people are clamoring for more supply and to bring the prices down further even amid the price ceiling we now have,” said Uy.
“But not only that, because the team also found millions worth of other goods that could hurt our markets more,” he added.
An agent of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) checks the sacks of rice which are part of the P400 million worth of smuggled products discovered in a raid on three wahouses in Tondo, Manila on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (photo: BOC)
For his part, CIIS Director Verne Enciso underscored the importance of verifying derogatory information and tapping the right people who can deliver tangible results.
“Of course, we always say this in the bureau—that without our field agents, we won’t accomplish anything. The ground work is the hardest part, but that’s what our agents do on a daily basis,” he said.
CIIS-MICP and PCG agents were not the only ones whose dedication was lauded as the official also stressed the “very critical roles” that the bureau’s informants play to bring these operations into fruition.
“This is another example of the tenacity and forward-thinking initiatives of our people to secure our borders and halt the smuggling and hoarding of this basic food on every Filipino table,” Enciso said.
CIIS agents and PCG personnel temporarily placed padlocks and seals on the warehouses while inventory of the goods will be conducted by the assigned Customs examiner.
The visitorial and inspection authority of the BOC is in accordance with Chapter 2, Section 224 of Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
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