Government agents have seized P400 million worth of suspected smuggled rice and other imported products during a raid in Tondo, Manila.
Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio said P90.2 million worth of the goods found at the warehouses were from 36,086 sacks of imported rice from Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar.
“While our government and kababayans scramble to make rice cheaper and more accessible, these businesses are possibly smuggling and hoarding it, which further adversely impacts our efforts to bring the prices down,” he said.
Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy said the composite team from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) implemented the Letters of Authority signed by Rubio against the three warehouses located in Antonio Rivera Street and Dagupan Street in Tondo.
“We were expecting to find rice, but it was still disappointing to see tens of thousands of sacks of rice in these storage areas, especially since our very own people are clamoring for more supply and to bring the prices down further even amid the price ceiling we now have,” he said.
“But not only that, because the team also found millions worth of other goods that could hurt our markets more,” Uy added.
Of the P400.2 million worth of goods found, P310 million were imported miscellaneous goods, such as children’s toys, cosmetics, kitchenware, household wares, video machines, fabrics, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, shoes, apparel, and general merchandise.
CIIS Director Verne Enciso underscored the importance of verifying derogatory information and tapping the right people who can deliver tangible results.
“Of course, we always say this in the bureau—that without our field agents, we won’t accomplish anything. The groundwork is the hardest part, but that’s what our agents do on a daily basis,” he said.
CIIS-MICP and PCG agents were not the only ones whose dedication was lauded, as the official also stressed the “very critical roles” that the bureau’s informants play in bringing these operations to fruition.
“This is another example of the tenacity and forward-thinking initiatives of our people to secure our borders and halt the smuggling and hoarding of this basic food on every Filipino table,” Enciso added.
Upon arrival at the warehouses, the team presented the LOAs to the warehouse representatives before proceeding to inspect the storage areas.
They temporarily placed padlocks and seals on the said warehouses, while the inventory of the goods will be conducted by the assigned customs examiner.
The visitorial and inspection authority of the BOC is in accordance with Chapter 2, Section 224 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
The bureau’s series of operations is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to intensify anti-smuggling and anti-hoarding efforts on staple grain.