MANILA, July 24 (PNA) — Bureau of Customs (BOC) Deputy Commissioner Jessie Dellosa led the inspection of seized imported sugar with an estimated worth of P34 million at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on Friday.
The 24 40-footer container vans containing some 13,200 sacks of imported Thai sugar consigned to Blue Chelsea and Real Top Enterprises were apprehended by the bureau’s Intelligence Group.
Twenty-one (21) of the container vans consigned to Blue Chelsea came from Beijing, China while three container vans consigned to Real Top Enterprises came from Singapore.
Dellosa said the shipments were misdeclared as vacuum flasks, plastic tumblers, kitchen wares, slippers, plastic tumblers, comb, chessboards, plastic case, children’s bike, plastic chopsticks, sunglasses, plastic tray, paper cups, toothbrush, storage box, and articles of clothing such as shorts, socks, caps, trousers, among others.
“We put the containers on alert status based on derogatory information. After conducting 100% examination we found thousands of sacks of imported Thai sugar concealed behind boxes of items declared in the manifest like plastic tumblers, vacuum flasks, etc. strategically located in front of the container van to hide its true content,” he said in a statement.
Dellosa added they were also alerted because of the weight of the container vans.
“They were so heavy despite the contents declared by the importers as only as kitchen wares, clothes, and toys. If it were only plastic items and clothes it wouldn’t be that heavy,” he said.
Last month, the Enforcement Group also seized eight 40-footer container vans of illegally imported Thai sugar consigned to Real Top Enterprises. Likewise, the bureau’s Task Force Pantalan intercepted a trailer truck containing a 40-foot container van of smuggled sugar consigned also to Real Top Enterprises. (PNA)