Subic Bay Freeport — The Bureau of Customs–Port of Subic seized more than 30,000 sacks of misdeclared refined sugar valued at P150 million in Subic Bay Freeport Zone on Thursday.
District Collector Maritess Martin has issued Pre-Lodgement Control Orders and Alert Orders after having received information from the Department of Agriculture (DA) about the subject shipments.
Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, DA Assistant Secretary James Layug, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, and Martin led the examination of 58 containers which yielded more than 30,000 sacks of misdeclared refined sugar.
A warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) shall be issued against the subject containers for violation of Section 1400, in relation to Section 1113 (f) of the Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and Sugar Regulatory Authority and BOC Joint Memorandum Order No. 04-2002.
The Bureau also examined two containers of squid rings where they found misdeclared assorted frozen meat products valued more or less P40 million.
The BOC will also issue a WSD against the two containers with misdeclared frozen meat for violation of pertinent provisions of the CMTA.
“The BOC continues to maximize its intelligence resources and intensify enforcement measures to thwart all attempts of smuggling, especially those involving agricultural products that negatively impact our local farmers and businesses,” according to Rubio.
“It has always been a priority of the BOC to protect local consumers against the health hazards posed by these illegally imported goods,” he added. (Dante M. Salvana)