P60-M smuggled sugar, fireworks seized at Subic Bay Freeport
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2019 09:59:08 +0000
CUSTOMS Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Subic District Collector Maritess Martin (right) and a customs official present to the media the container full of smuggled Thailand refined sugar at the New Container Terminal 1 in Subic Bay Freeport on Friday. (Jonas Reyes)
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Bureau of Customs (BoC) officers seized Friday 35 cargo containers with around P60 million worth of smuggled sugar and fireworks at the New Container Terminal 1 (NCT1) here.
Port of Subic District Collector Maritess Martin said that 34 of the 35 containers contained smuggled Thailand refined sugar while the remaining container was jam-packed with fireworks.
Both shipments arrived from Hong Kong on March 31 and April 7.
Martin said that the BoC received information regarding the smuggling of the contrabands, prompting her to order a hundred percent examination of the containers.
She added that the containers were consigned to JRFP International Trading, a port user and is not a Subic Freeport locator.
Martin said that the 34 containers, misdeclared as floor mats and plastic floor coverings, yielded 21,760 bags of Thailand refined sugar. The other container, meanwhile, contained several boxes of firecrackers.
Warrants of seizure and detention were issued against the shipments on April 12.
Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero immediately ordered the revocation of the customs accreditation of both the importer and the customs broker.
Appropriate charges will be filed against them for violation of Section 1401 of the Customs Modernization and Tarrif Act (CMTA). (Jonas Reyes)