P1.3-M smuggled rice seized in Parañaque

MANILA, Philippines - Joint operatives from the Bureau of Customs (BOC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and National Food Authority yesterday raided a warehouse in Parañaque City and confiscated sacks of smuggled rice from China worth at least P1.3 million.

Agents from the three agencies swooped down on the warehouse located along Quirino Avenue in Barangay Tambo at 11 a.m.

Aside from the smuggled rice, they also seized other goods such as noodles, footwear and aerosol insecticides with an estimated value of P4 million.

A source from the BOC said they confiscated around 1,500 bags, each containing 25 kilos of rice.

“The information that we got is that the shipment came from China,” the source said.

The BOC has yet to identify the broker and consignee of the shipment.

It took the three government agencies a month to build up the operation before they raided the warehouse.

The raid came amid the Senate inquiry into the rampant rice smuggling in the country.

The NBI said they received information that the warehouse is owned by a certain Joseph Go.

According to NBI lawyer Peter Lugay, 11 trucks transported the cargo from South Harbor in Manila to the warehouse in Parañaque on Friday night.

Two Chinese caretakers identified as Liang Tan, 22, and Dahua Huang, 24, were in the warehouse during the raid.

They failed to present the necessary documents for the confiscated goods, Lugay said.

He added that 29 surveillance cameras are installed in the warehouse.

Authorities have yet to conduct an inventory of the seized items.