BoC seizes contraband worth P260-M in Bataan

PORT OF LIMAY, Bataan — The Bureau of Customs (BoC) earlier this week seized P260-million worth of smuggled rice and cigarettes, puzzling operatives on how the contraband were released without hitches but were later intercepted by the police once they hit the highways.

This was followed by the local police’s apprehension of a truck loaded with the same contraband, this time worth P9 million, last Wednesday.

PMaj. Madtaib Jalman, the arresting team’s leader, disclosed that they flagged down an Isuzu flatbed trailer driven by one Alberto Gianan with porter Benmark Cabubas as his passenger.

Jalman questioned how the truckload of smuggled goods were able to slip past Customs inspectors inside the Port of Orion despite the lack of pertinent documents.

The intercepted smuggled cigarettes in master cases bearing the “Mighty” and “Two Moon” cigarette brands and “Premium Vietnam Rice” originated from Vietnam and then loaded on LCT Yellow River accompanied by an alleged fake

Statement of Settlement of Duties and Taxes (SSDT).

The BOC admitted, however, that the cargo was partially unloaded onto several trailer trucks, which were seized in various checkpoints.

A composite team composed of personnel from the Port of Limay, Enforcement and Security Service, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard, intercepted the smuggled cargo on 24 February.

According to the BoC, the importation appeared to be consigned to Asia Pacific Rice Trading Corporation, and was accompanied with the bogus SSDT for the rice, and lack of tax seal for the cigarettes.

Around 50 individuals whose work were just on OJT (on the job training) were reportedly ‘sacrificed’ after they were caught in the act of unloading the contraband, while no one was questioned from the personnel of the BoC over the incident.