AT least 7,000 sacks of imported sugar were confiscated by the Bureau of Customs inside the container yard of Sulpicio Lines in the Manila International Container Port.

Celso Templo, deputy commissioner for intelligence, said the imported sugar, believed to be smuggled into southern Mindanao from Borneo, were shipped through to Manila in 15 container vans and deposited in the container yard of Sulpicio Lines.

The shipment arrived June 17 at Pier 12 on board Filipina Princess and consigned to a certain Sonny Tan.

Templo said the sacks of sugar, with estimated market value of P8 million, were declared as corngrits for feeds to animals. The sacks had fictitious markings “LSC (Lanao Sugar Cane)” and “Davao Sugar,” he added.

“These goods were imported and classified by the Sugar Regulatory Administration as not included in their list of locally manufactured [goods],” Templo said. “Aside from misdeclaration, the importer also failed to show shipping and transport permits, and for that we will file criminal charges against this importer.”

Adelina Molina, MICP district collector, said the shipment will be forfeited in favor of the government and will be auctioned off next week.

She gave credit to the cooperation of North Harbor subport Collector Nelso Olalo, who issued a hold order based on derogatory information received by the MICP district office commander that the shipment contained sugar, rather than corngrits as declared.

Two days after it was apprehended, the shipment was examined, according to Molina, and that examination revealed that “the shipment indeed contains sugar and that no authority or permit to ship within the Philippine territory from the SRA or other documents was ever presented by the consignee, who failed to appear up to this date.”

Templo commended the team of MICP Enforcement and Security Service chief Marlon Alameda who helped in the apprehension of the shipment.

Sulpicio’s yard yields 7,000 sacks of ‘smuggled’ sugar

AT least 7,000 sacks of imported sugar were confiscated by the Bureau of Customs inside the container yard of Sulpicio Lines in the Manila International Container Port.

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