Customs seizes P24.7M worth of smuggled rice, garlic in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Customs reported on Tuesday it had seized P24.7-million worth of allegedly misdeclared rice and under-declared garlic shipped into Mindanao.

The shipments in question included 145,000 kilograms of glutinous rice or “malagkit” from Vietnam as well as 200,000 kilos of garlic from Shandong, China, the BOC said.

AP FILE PHOTO

Both the rice and garlic shipments were intercepted at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

The imported “malagkit,” which had been packed in 2,900 50-kilogram sacks that were subsequently stored in five 40-foot container vans, was declared as “household ware” while also lacking an import permit from the National Food Authority, the BOC said. The government requires the permit as it regulates rice importation through quotas in order to protect local farmers.

The rice shipment arrived last September 4 and was consigned to the Cagayan de Oro City-based Gold Friends Enterprises.

As for imported garlic, the BOC said documents filed by the Cagayan de Oro City-based Kenshien General Merchandise showed that the company paid only P237,076 in duties and taxes—an amount 46-percent less than past garlic importation of similar weight. Previous garlic shipments reaching 200,000 kilos had been slapped combined duties and taxes worth P520,000.

“Under the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, a discrepancy in value between what was declared by the importer and what was found during examination by BOC examiners and assessors that exceeds 30 percent constitutes ‘prima facie’ evidence of fraud, with the shipment subjected to seizure proceedings,” the BOC noted.

The confiscated garlic shipment, which arrived last August 24, had been placed in 13,332 bags contained in four 40-foot container vans.

According to the BOC, besides seizure and forfeiture proceedings, the agency shall also further investigate the importers and customs brokers of the allegedly smuggled shipments.

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