8 containers of smuggled sugar seized

Eight containers filled with smuggled sugar worth ₱4.4 million were uncovered at the Port of Manila Wednesday, the Bureau of Customs said yesterday.

Several sacks of sugar bearing the “Korach Conditioned Refined Sugar” brand were found in the containers. Each sack contains 50 kilograms of refined sugar. Although it was shipped from China, the markings of the sacks showed that it is a product of Thailand.

Investigation showed that the shipment arrived in the country through the South Harbor on August 30, 2019. It was shipped from China and consigned to RZTREC Trading, the bureau said.

Inventory of the total contents of the containers is under way, the bureau said but they estimated its value to be around ₱4.4 million.

The shipments were declared to contain steel coils but the Customs examiner found Korach Conditioned Refined Sugar when it underwent physical examination Wednesday.

It was also disclosed that the shipment’s entry has yet to be filed despite being on the port yard for almost three months now.

According to the Port of Manila, a Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) was immediately issued against the shipment for violation of Section 1400 “Misdeclaration, Misclassification and Undervaluation in Goods Declaration,” in relation to Section 1113 “Property Subject

to Seizure and Forfeiture,” and Section 117 “Regulated Importation and Exportation” of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).