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The Bureau of Customs seizes 236,571 sacks of smuggled rice in a Bulacan raid
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The bureau also issued Letters of Authority to inspect warehouses in Cavite, Las Piñas City, and two warehouses in Manila
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Smuggling charges were filed against suspected rice smugglers in Bulacan before the Department of Justice
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized 236,571 sacks of smuggled rice discovered during a raid in Bulacan.
The move follows BOC’s issuance of warrants for seizure and detention on September 29, as reported to the Office of the President.
The BOC is awaiting feedback from the government prosecutor concerning the seized smuggled rice.
In addition to the Bulacan operation, Letters of Authority have been issued for the inspection of warehouses in Cavite, Las Piñas City, and two warehouses in Manila.
The inventory of the Manila warehouses is still in progress, while the BOC awaits the submission of necessary documents from the warehouse owners in Cavite and Las Piñas City.
4 cases filed
In another development, the BOC Bureau Action Team Against Smuggling filed four smuggling charges with the Department of Justice against suspected rice smugglers in Bulacan on September 29.
A case is being built against a warehouse owner in Zamboanga City where smuggled rice worth ₱42 million was seized.
Atty. William Balayo, the acting director of BOC’s Legal Service, explained three charges of economic sabotage were filed against three importers, while one was charged with a violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) under Agricultural Product Smuggling.
Of the four cases, three are categorized as “large-scale,” while one case did not meet the ₱10-million threshold and was downgraded to a violation of the CMTA, specifically related to agricultural product smuggling, with rice being the focus.
These charges stem from an inspection carried out in Bulacan on August 24.
Furthermore, the BOC confiscated over 42,000 sacks of smuggled rice in Zamboanga City. Subsequently, these rice sacks were donated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development after the importers failed to provide importation documents and evidence of correct duty and tax payments.
