The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed smuggling charges against Blue Chelsea Enterprises for misdeclaring P13.7 million worth of refined sugar from China.
The customs agency on October 23 filed the case with the Department of Justice against Blue Chelsea owner and proprietor Esteban Lajac as well as several unidentified individuals for violating Section 3601 (Unlawful Importation) in relation to Section 101 (Prohibited Importation) of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines as amended, and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Rules and Regulations.
On June 25, 2015, eleven 40-foot container vans consigned to Blue Chelsea arrived at the Manila International Container Port. BOC Intelligence Group deputy commissioner Jessie Dellosa issued an alert order on the shipments for lack of an import permit and clearance from the SRA.
The shipments were said to contain general merchandise, including vacuum flasks, chess boards, plastic kits, plastic tumblers, storage boxes, basketballs, sponges, plastic hairpins, jackets, paper cups, children’s bikes. They were found to contain bags of refined sugar with supposed customs duties and taxes amounting to P11.4 million.
BOC had recently deputized SRA and the Sugar Anti-Smuggling Office of the Sugar Alliance of the Philippines to aid it in the campaign to strengthen efforts against sugar smuggling.
“We are relentless in our battle against agri smuggling. Customs will not yield to anyone or anything in this campaign against smuggling because we want to help local farmers and help the Philippine sugar industry to prosper,” Customs commissioner Alberto Lina said in a statement.
