The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized P54 million worth of refined sugar misdeclared as steel, tex screws, clamp nails, and hardware fittings and contained in 48 containers at the Port of Manila.
The shipments, consigned to RZTEC and TRACLEF Trading, came from China and arrived on different dates between August and September 2019.
BOC issued an alert on the shipments on November 8, 13 and 14, 2019, and examination, which started on November 13, showed products different from those declared.
Warrants of seizure and detention were thus issued against the shipments for violation of Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification, Undervaluation, in Goods Declaration) in relation to Section 117 (Regulated Importation and Exportation) of Republic Act (R.A.) 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and R.A. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
According to Letter (e), Section 3 of R.A. 10845, the crime of large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage—involving sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables, in its raw state, or which have undergone the simple processes of preparation or preservation for market, with a minimum amount of P1 million, or rice, with a minimum amount of P10 million, as valued by BOC—is committed through misclassification, undervaluation or misdeclaration upon the filing of import entry and revenue declaration with the BOC in a bid to evade paying the rightful taxes and duties due to the government.
The BOC continues to be vigilant against customs fraud and to fulfill its mandate of enhancing border security. For 2019, Port of Manila has so far seized a total of P314.506 million worth of misdeclared goods—17.28% higher than the 268.161 million worth of apprehensions last year.
Relatedly, the Sugar Master Plan Foundation, Inc. awarded the Port of Manila a certificate of appreciation last December 11 for its recent apprehension of smuggled sugar.