The Bureau of Customs (BOC) unrelenting campaign against smuggling has again caused the seizure of Php42 million worth of illegally imported sugar and rice by alert operatives of the Port of Manila – Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (POM-CIIS), an operating unit of the Intelligence Group (IG) under Deputy Commissioner Danilo Lim, during the period May 26 to June 3 this year.

During the inspection of the seized rice and sugar today (July 15, 2013) at the Port of Manila (POM)under District Collector Rogel Gatchalian, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon said, the hot shipment of rice which arrived at the POM from Vietnam in 16 twenty-footer container vans had an estimated value of PhP28 million and were consigned to Highest Regard Enterprises and Victorious One Enterprises, while the eight (8) twenty-footer container vans of smuggled sugar from Thailand worth PhP14 million were all consigned to Highest Regard Enterprises.

According to Biazon, the illegally imported rice and sugar were seized after these were found to have violated Section 2503 of the Tariffs and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP) for misdeclaration. All shipments were misdeclared as steel frames, steel coils and hinges in their entries.

“They never learn their lesson. But the Bureau of Customs will not stop teaching them a lesson, if only to send the message that we are seriously pursuing the government’s anti-smuggling drive.” Biazon said in stressing his point that smugglers, practically have their days numbered at the BOC and that the bureau will not tolerate smuggling under his watch, no matter who are the people behind these illicit schemes.

“I have repeatedly warned traders to be compliant with our customs laws and rules to avoid problems. If they continue to disregard our warnings and that would require us to seize smuggled goods everyday, then we will do it.” Biazon said, even as he congratulated the POM and CIIS operatives for another job, well done.

In the past few days alone, the BOC seized and presented to media a total of PhP757 million worth of illegally imported goods when it confiscated PhP700 million worth of smuggled fake medicines in a warehouse in Binondo, Manila last Thursday (July 11, 2013), another PhP15 million worth of used clothing at the Port of Manila last Friday (July 12, 2013) and today’s seizure of hot rice and sugar worth PhP42 million.

For his part, Lim once again, expressed satisfaction on the performance of his operatives saying, his groups tightened intelligence and broadened coordinative network with the private sector are producing good results for the bureau’s Intelligence Group.

Lim’s group was also responsible for the recent seizure of PhP15 million worth of smuggled used clothing (ukay-ukay) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).