BOC, AFP find 57,000 sacks of sugar in QC

Personnel from the Bureau of Customs and Armed Forces of the Philippines discovered 57,000 sacks of imported refined sugar at a warehouse in Quezon City.

In a statement on Saturday, the BOC said the authorities found the sacks of imported refined sugar from Thailand with an estimated value of P285 million in the La Perla Sugar Export Corporation warehouse on August 23.

According to the BOC, each sack of imported refined sugar contained 50 kilos with an estimated value of P5,000.

BOC examiners conducted a routine inventory and inspection of the incoming goods.

The agency said clearances from the Sugar Regulatory Administration covering the goods were validated by the inspection team, which also included the Enforcement and Security Service-Quick Response Team of the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

BOC-MICP District Collector Romeo Allan Rosales said the port remains vigilant in monitoring the processing and release of sugar imports into the country.

Malacañang previously said that the BOC and other agencies are continuously inspecting sugar warehouses, in line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s intensified campaign against the illegal importation of agricultural products.

The Palace also said the inspection aims to determine whether the current shortage in the supply of sugar was contrived. —VBL, GMA News