CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: Twenty-seven 20-foot shipping containers loaded with more than 10,000 bags of rice imported from Thailand were seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Northern Mindanao following the discovery of the misdeclared cargo.
Acting Customs district collector Ruby Claudia Alameda issued the warrant of seizure and detention after a spot check revealed that each container was loaded with 520 bags of rice instead of the declared quantity of 400 rice bags.
Alameda said the shipment came from Thailand and was consigned to the Malingas Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
The concessionaire had declared that the containers had 10,800 bags of Thai white rice.
But after examination by BOC officials and a representative of the consignee, one container van was found to have an excess of 120 bags.
Alameda said the 30 percent excess constitutes a violation of the Tariffs and Customs Code.
She said the shipment arrived at the Mindanao Container Terminal Port in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental last December 20 on board the M/V Sandigan Voy.
“Even though the shipment was covered by an NFA (National Food Authority) import permit we had the right to know what’s inside,” Alameda said.
The seized shipment is now in a government-controlled warehouse pending resolution of the misdeclaration case.
In a related development, Alameda issued a memorandum on Jan 21 to all port collectors and exporters of mineral ore and lumber/logs to submit their Mineral Ore Permit or Export Authority to the office of the Customs District Collector for verification with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources before filing their Export Entry Declaration.
“I will never be in cahoots with smugglers and I will never allow any illegal shipment to enter the port,” she added.
Meanwhile, the cargo that contained 140,000 bags of Vietnamese rice for NFA Region 1 in a Vietnamese ship that ran aground last December 27 near the pier in San Fernando City in La Union has not yet been unloaded.
Carlito Co, NFA Region 1 director, said they have hired a barge to help in the operations to lighten the load of the Vietnamese ship M/V Vinh Hoa Po that was stuck about 1,200 metres from the pier.
The Philippine Star
