MANILA: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced the seizure of P1.2bn ($29.1m) worth of alleged smuggled rice in Cebu.
In a statement, BOC deputy commissioner Danilo Lim said they netted 1,194 units of 20-footer container vans that came in through the Port of Cebu from March 18 until April 2. It was the biggest seizure of smuggled rice for the agency. The huge shipment was covered by 151 alert orders issued by Lim.
The illegal shipment were misdeclared as stone slabs, ceiling insulator slabs, granite slabs and wall insulator slabs. The rice shipment in Cebu was bigger than the shipment also seized in Subic early this year.
Mechanic finds bomb in car engine
MANILA: Philippine police have disarmed a bomb which was found in the engine compartment of an Indian businessman’s car after he drove the vehicle to a garage for repairs, officials said.
The car repair shop alerted police when a mechanic found the device after the Indian owner, a money lender, and two compatriots drove there for repairs, Senior Inspector Walter Ebora said.
“We still cannot conclude what the motive was. They could be the targets or it could be an act of terrorism,” said Ebora, the police chief of Alaminos, about three hours’ drive from Manila where the car shop is located.
Police described the bomb as made from military-grade C4 explosives rigged to a mobile phone triggering device.
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