4 firms charged with P11-M rice smuggling

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) filed with the Department of Justice Thursday an P11-million smuggling case against the owners and brokers of four trading companies that allegedly attempted to illegally import rice into the country.

The rice shipments came from Myanmar and Hong Kong, BOC Commissioner Rufino Biazon and newly designated Deputy Commissioner Editha Tan said in a statement.

They filed charges against Ocean Park Enterprises owner Maricris Wu and her broker, Fares Fel Roma, for reportedly importing 20-footer shipping containers of smuggled rice from Myanmar. The shipment, valued at P6.6 million, arrived at the Port of Cebu early this year.

Vintage Eagle Marketing owner Julius Hinoo, Mindanao Portal Enterprises owner Edmundo Acuno and Zone Zodiac Commercial owner Fernando Palingcod were charged for allegedly misdeclaring two 40-footer shipping containers of rice, worth P1.5 million each, as prefabricated houses. The shipment arrived from Hong Kong at the Mindanao Container Port earlier this year.