THE Bureau of Customs on Thursday averted the possible smuggling of 7,021 metric tons of sugar from Thailand at the Subic Port in Zambales after BoC officials learned that the import permit used for the cargo was “recycled,” meaning it was already used for an earlier sugar shipment.
Acting Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz reported the attempted smuggling to Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez, who earlier tasked the BoC to use its visitorial power to inspect warehouses where stocks of sugar were believed to be being hoarded for profit.
Ruiz immediately ordered the BoC in Subic Port to take under its custody the 19 crew members of the cargo vessel MV Bangpakaew, which was found to be loaded with 7,021 metric tons of Thailand white refined sugar equivalent to 140,000 bags and with total tax payment valued at P45,623,007.51.
Initial investigation by the BoC showed that the consignee of the smuggled sugar is Oro-Agritrade Inc. under the account of ARC Refreshments Corp. under Entry Nos. C-12513 and C-12521.
The Thai exporter is listed as Ruamkamlarp Export Co. Ltd while the local customs broker was identified as Malou Leynes Buerano
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) officer-in-charge Joeffrey Tacio reported that the cargo is covered by a “Special Permit to Discharge (SPD) and Verified Single Administrative Document (SAD)” from BoC and with a verified clearance from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) thru a certain Mr. Rondell Manjarres.
“Initially, the said a cargo vessel was allowed to discharge its load at 11am today (Thursday), cleared by SRA and BoC because it was not covered by the failed attempt to import 300,000 MT of sugar. This means that the recycled permit was from an old allocation,” CIIS chief Tacio reported.
Reports reaching the Office of the Executive Secretary indicated that a similar modus using “recycled import permits” resulted in the smuggling last week of shipload of imported sugar.
The report from the OES identified several persons who allegedly control Subic Port including
a certain “Buboy” and “Reggie” who both use “ Kysse Lish” and “Foxxie” as consignees.
“This is clearly economic sabotage and this crime is non-bailable,” the report from OES said.
The Executive Secretary, on orders from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also directed the BoC to investigate the possibility that the alleged “locally procured” sugar seized in the two warehouses in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan were actually imported sugar but were repacked using sacks of local brands.
Rodriguez earlier raised suspicion on why the SRA could not account for the 63,000 MT of sugar which was the balance from the 200,000 MT under Sugar Order No. 3 approved by the Sugar Regulatory Board last February.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles says that heads may roll at the BoC if evidence shows that any of the bureau’s port personnel are in connivance with smugglers using recycled sugar import permits.
She further said at least one of the warehouses inspected yesterday in Bulacan and Pampanga were not registered with the SRA.
“Suspicions were raised when the owner claimed that the stock pile was the result of slow sales. ‘Matumal’ daw,” Cruz-Angeles said.
“Dun pa sa hinarang na shipment, gamit pa daw ang permit from Sugar Order No. 3. Kung tutoo ito, lalong nagiging suspicious yung madaliang paglabas ng Sugar Order No. 4,” she added.#
