Customs and EIIB seize another shipment of P18M rice from Ozamis
Balita News Services
weekend another shipment of some P18 million worth of suspected smuggled
rice in 61 container vans from Ozamis city.
A joint team from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation
Service (CIIS) and the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau
(EIIB) seized the 18,000 rice bags which arrived on Friday aboard mv
Sulcon XI of the Sulpicio Lines Inc.
CIIS Cebu chief Fernandino A. Tuason served the shipping firm
the alert order issued against the cargo by Customs District Collector
Rolando Yebes.
Francisco G. Guevarra, Visayas chief of the CIIS, said this is
the second seizure by his command in two days.
Three chartered vessels valued at P225 million were seized
Thursday from the Infrastructure and Development Holdings Inc. (IDHI)
for violation of the Tariff and Customs Code. Guevarra said they are
confident the vessels will be seized by the government.
Also last July 7, 13 container vans carrying suspected imported
crystal-like brown sugar and one container van with suspected smuggled
rice were seized by the Bureau of Customs on Yebes' order.
The bill of lading of the rice showed that of the 61 container
vans, 32 are 10-footers containing 6,400 rice bags, while 29 are
20-footers container 11,600 bags.
At P1,000 per sack, the 18,000 rice bags were valued at P18
million.
Five of the 10-footer vans were consigned to B. Largo, A.
Dullano and Victoria Ang of Cebu city.
Fourteen 20-footer and 22 10-footer vans were consigned to B,
Largo, A, Dullano and Erlinda Lim of Cebu city.
Fifteen 20-footer and five 10-footer vans were consigned to B.
Largo A. Dullano and Elpidio "Edwin" Maata, also of Cebu city.
The CIIS team, composed of special agents Roberto Elia J. Palomo
Jr., Rogaciano T. Ceniza Jr. and Francis Vic Alindogan, found during a
spot check that the rice bags were imported in violation of the Tariff
and Customs Code and the National Food Authority (NFA) rules and
regulations.
They said the rice shipment is not of the local variety. They
will submit samples for laboratory tests once the rice bags will be
officially inventoried on Monday.
The CIIS authories said they are looking into reports that
Ozamis city has become a transhipment point for smuggled rice and sugar
allegedly because of the protection by the Kuratong Baleleng armed
group. (PNA) DCT/EB/re
PNA 07111241