The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated fourteen 20-foot container vans of incorrectly declared sugar products from Vietnam, valued at around ₱28.7 million, due to customs and legal violations.

BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio led the inspection at the Port of Subic on April 10, which led to the seizure of goods declared as “sweet mixed powder,” which were shipped from Dong Nai Province, Vietnam.

Specifically, the shipment was flagged by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS)-Port of Subic for possible misdeclaration and regulatory violations.

Following a physical inspection and laboratory analysis conducted in coordination with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the sucrose content of the samples exceeded 65 percent.

These findings reclassified the shipment as “refined sugar contrary to their declared description.”

According to reports, these shipments violated SRA Sugar Order No. 7, Series of 2003–2004; the SRA and BOC Joint Memorandum Order No. 04-2002; and several provisions under Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), as well as the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act.

In response, District Collector Marlon Fritz Broto, Master in National Security Administration (MNSA), issued a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) on March 28 against the misdeclared goods.

“The subject shipments are presently undergoing forfeiture proceedings,” BOC said.

Rubio emphasized that the operation aligns with the president’s directive to “ensure food security, uphold trade integrity, and combat agricultural smuggling.”

“This seizure demonstrates our firm resolve to prevent the entry of misdeclared and unregulated goods,” Rubio said, noting that the agency remains aligned with the president’s call to “protect consumers, support legitimate businesses, and safeguard the nation’s agricultural interests through strengthened inter-agency cooperation.”

Broto added that through strict inspections and firm enforcement measures, the Port of Subic remains committed to protecting the country’s borders and ensuring the integrity of legitimate trade.

The total value of smuggled goods confiscated by the BOC Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) from January to March this year reached nearly ₱26 billion.

First-quarter collections increased by ₱8 billion, or more than 40 percent, compared to the same period last year. The BOC reported that its anti-smuggling efforts led to the seizure of goods worth over ₱18 billion in the first quarter of 2024.