BOC seizes 3rd ‘hot’ sugar shipment in 3 weeks

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs has seized its third shipment of smuggled sugar in as many weeks as a result of operations by the BOC Intelligence Group, led by deputy commissioner Danilo Lim, officials said yesterday.

The P5-million shipment, which arrived in three shipping containers, arrived at the Manila International Container Port last Feb. 21. It was seized by virtue of an alert order issued by Lim, followed by a warrant of seizure and detention by MICP district collector Ricardo Belmonte last May 14.

When officials inspected the shipment yesterday, BOC Commissioner Rufino Biazon said the smuggled sugar actually came from Thailand and Malaysia but was shipped to the Philippines via Singapore.

The shipment was misdeclared by its consignee, Classical Star Commercial, as automotive pistons, gas combustion, V-Linear cylinders and air conditioner machine parts and accessories, to avoid the required sugar import permit from the Sugar Regulatory Authority, Biazon said.