6,000 bags believed smuggled: Customs seizes P9M worth of rice

A warrant of seizure and detention has been issued for a shipment of imported rice estimated to be worth P9 million.

This was issued by Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu district collector Ricardo Belmonte.

In his order dated December 2, Belmonte directed the district commander of the Enforcement Security Service to seize the said shipment of 14 20-footer container vans.

The district collector also directed ESS district commander Isidro Estrera to turn the shipment over to the custody of the Auction and Cargo Disposal Division of the port.

Based in the Cebu Seizure Identification case number 25-2008, the consignees of the said shipment, estimated to compose 6,000 sacks of imported rice, are Mario Mabilog and Marcos Amorin with unknown addresses.

Belmonte likewise directed Estrera to strictly observe Customs Memorandum number 8-84, on making a return of service and the submission of inventory of article seized.

Last November 23, the ESS issued an alert order against the said shipment, which was said to contain imported rice covered by bill of lading numbers CB19, CB20 and CB21.

The said shipment arrived at the port of Cebu coming from Cagayan de Oro.

Belmonte however stated in his order that the shipment was imported in violation of Section 101 in relation to Section 3601 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines as amended.

Section 101 provides that all articles, when imported from any foreign country into the Philippines, shall be subject to duty upon each importation, even though previously exported from the Philippines, except as otherwise specifically provided for in the Code or in other laws.

Section 3601 (unlawful importation) provides that any person who shall fraudulently import or bring into the Philippines, or assist in so doing, any article, contrary to law, or shall receive, conceal, but, sell or in any manner facilitate the transportation, concealment or sale of such article after importation, knowing the same to have been imported contrary to law, shall be guilty of smuggling.

The said shipment is presently at the Sulpicio Lines Container Yard in Cebu City.

Meanwhile, the Maritime Industry Authority put on hold MT Chelsea Passion, after it was found out to have violated the condition not to carry black products.

The MT Chelsea Passion owned by Manila-based Chelsea Shipping Corporation, arrived in Naga, Cebu to deliver industrial fuel to the National Power Corporation last November 23.

Under the prohibition, the said oil tanker is only allowed to carry white products such as gasoline, diesel and kerosene and not industrial fuel, which is black.

MARINA legal officer Jose Cabatingan said that the oil tanker is now anchored at the vicinity of the Cebu International Port as its Central Office already issued a show cause order on why the management of the vessel should not be penalized. — /NLQ