Another multi-million sugar shipment seized in Subic
ANOTHER multi-million pesos shipment of smuggled refined sugar valued at P86 million was seized by the Bureau of Customs at the Port of Subic last March 15, 2023, following the confiscation at the same port of refined sugar worth P150 million over two weeks ago.
Port of Subic district collector Maritess Martin, in her report, said she immediately placed the 30 container vans declared as ‘slipper outsoles’ and ‘styrene butadine rubber’ under a ‘PLCO’ (pre-lodgement control order) following information from the bureau’s Intelligence Group (IG) and the Enforcement Group (EG) in Manila that the shipment was misdeclared to evade detection by customs authorities.
On actual examination also witnessed by Martin, Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary James Layug and representatives from the Sugar Regulatory Agency (SRA), the containers were discovered to contain 15,648 bags of refined sugar from Thailand, as indicated in the sacks containing the sugar.
It can be recalled that last March 2, 2023, Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio was personally at the Port of Subic to lead in the apprehension of 58 containers of smuggled refined sugar from Thailand worth P150 million.
In a brief statement, Martin again warned unscrupulous traders not to use her port for their smuggling activities as they are strict in implementing the mandate of Comm. Rubio for all customs collection districts to always remain on alert in securing the country’s ports of entry from contrabands and other illicit goods.
