MANILA, (PNA) — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday filed smuggling charges against the owners and a broker of four trading companies for trying to smuggle into the country P11.15-million worth of rice.
Charged were Maricris L. Wu, owner of Ocean Park Enterprises, and her broker Fares Fel R. Roma.
Also charged were Julius M. Hinoo, owner of Vintage Eagle Marketing, together with Mindanao Portal Enterprises owner Edmundo L. Acuno, and Zone Zodiac Commercial owner Fernando A. Palingod.
They were all charged for violating Sections 3601 and 3602, including Sections 2503 and 2530 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines.
In a press conference, Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon said Ocean Park’s shipment of ten 20-footer container vans of smuggled rice from Myanmar worth P6.650 million were part of the 1,169 container vans of smuggled rice that were seized by the BOC operatives at the Port of Cebu earlier this year.
Biazon added that Vintage Eagle, Mindanao Portal and Zone Zodiac (each of them) attempted to smuggle into the country two 40-footer container vans of rice from Hong Kong through the Mindanao Container Port earlier this year.
Each shipment was worth P1.5 million and all were misdeclared as prefabricated houses.
“I am warning all importers and traders, especially those involved in the importation of agricultural products, to desist from smuggling and for them to pay the right duties for their importations. Sooner or later, we will confront you in the court law,” Biazon said.
“We will never compromise the interest of our local farmers, and for that we will not allow illegal importation of rice, among other agricultural products,” he added.