The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized 1,000 sacks of sugar from Thailand at the Port of Manila. According to the BOC, the refined sugar did not have an import permit and clearance, so it was immediately confiscated. The total value of the seized items is ₱5 million.
The operation was conducted after Pre-Lodgement Control Order was issued by POM District Collector Alexander Gerard E. Alviar. During the physical inspection, sugar was discovered in two 20-foot containers. Each container contained 500 sacks, which came from Thailand.
The operation was conducted in conjunction with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and other law enforcement agencies. It was found that there was no import allocation or clearance from the SRA, and the products did not have official authorization.
Because of this, the Field Station Chief of CIIS-Port of Manila ordered the Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD). This is a violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and Sugar Order No. 6 of 2022-2023.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said they will continue to monitor to ensure that only legal products are allowed into the country, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s goal of maintaining food security and economic stability.
