The Bureau of Customs seized some P231 million worth of rice and sugar in a raid in two warehouses in Caloocan City as the crackdown on sugar continues amid complaints of shortage and significant increase in its price.
BOC acting commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said the operation stemmed from confirmed intelligence reports about the presence of thousands of sacks of sugar and rice that were imported from Vietnam and Thailand.
Armed with a Letter of Authority (LOA) and a Mission Order (MO), BOC agents swooped down on the two warehouses at 448 Kabutuhan Street, Deparo Road, Brgy. 168, Caloocan City and found 66,000 sacks of rice and 13,000 sacks of sugar, all 50 kilos each.
“We are very proud of these recent operations—the ones in Bulacan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Manila, Batangas, and Davao. It proves how serious we are in getting at the bottom of the issue of hoarding agricultural products, like rice and sugar,” Ruiz said.
“We are aware of how these could affect our farmers, our markets, the people. The inspections we’ve been doing are aimed at stopping this abuse,” he added.
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Division (CIIS) Director Jeoffrey Tacio said his men also found alcohol, packaging materials, chips, cocoa powders, and many other imported goods inside the two warehouses.
Tacio said the warehouse owners and their representatives will be given 15 days to present the proper documents for the imported products and agricultural goods found in the compound.
"We have already temporarily sealed the entrance and exit gates of the warehouse," said Tacio, adding that the inventory of the seized items is on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
The crackdown on imported sugar and hoarding of sugar started when the attempt to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar was exposed to the media.
Two newly-appointed ranking officials of the Sugar Regulatory Authority already resigned from their posts but it was not immediately clear if they would be held liable for the incident, especially that one of them signed the document authorizing the importation on behalf of President Marcos.