180,000 sacks of sugar found in 6 warehouses in Malolos, Bulacan

The Bureau of Customs has ordered the shutdown of some warehouses of sugar in Meycauayan, Bulacan after it received information that imported sugar was being repacked to make it appear locally refined.

The sugar, the information said, had been smuggled into the country.

According to Jun Veneracio’s report on “24 Oras”, Customs agents, policemen, and soldiers went to nine warehouses on Wednesday night and Thursday earlu morning.

Six were found to have 180,000 sacks of either locally or imported refined sugar.

“Ang isa po natin natanggap na information is ni-repack lang po itong mga imported na smuggled sugar into locally manufactured or locally refined sugar daw," CIIS-MICP chief Alvin Enciso said.

"Sinasabi po ng derogatory information is smuggled po ang mga asukal na ito at ni-repack lang sa local upang magmukhang locally refined,” he added.

(One information we received was that these imported smuggled sugar was repacked into locally manufactured or locally refined sugar. The derogatory information says that these sugars are smuggled and repackaged locally to appear locally refined.)

The reported repacking was part of the intelligence report that prompted the BOC to launch the operation.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration will collect a sample of the sugar for further analysis. 

“Mayroon po tayong mga pinapadalang chemist upang suriin po at i-lab test. Kumukuha po sila ng samples, susuriin nila sa labs nila at magbibigay po sila sa atin ng laboratory results kung local ba o hindi,” Enciso said.

(We have sent chemists to check and do laboratory tests. They are taking samples, they would test them in their laboratories and they would give us laboratory results whether they are local or not.)

One of the warehouse managers denied that they were involved in repacking sugar.

He said that they had documents to prove that the sacks of sugar inside their warehouse were legal.

“Nabigla at nagulat kasi hindi namin ine-expect na mapapasara kami considering na we have the proper documentations para sa mga yan,” the manager said.

(Shocked and surprised because we did not expect to be closed considering that we have the proper documentation for these sugars.)

“Talagang tataas ang percentage ng shortage sa sugar. Yun ang nakikita ko dahil pina-hold at pinasara eh. Siyempre stop operations kami, wala kaming deliveries at wala talaga lahat. Kumbaga chain reaction na ito,” he added.

(The percentage of sugar shortage would increase. That's what I see because it was put on hold and closed. Of course, we stop our operations, we have no deliveries and absolutely nothing. Apparently, this is a chain reaction.)

The BOC said they would speed up the process of reviewing the documents so warehouses could open immediately.

Among the sugar warehouses that figured in the recent operations conducted by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Services of the Manila International Container Port, 15 remain closed while 2 others have been recommended to reopen.

“Sinasabi nga po agad namin na ibigay ang mga required documents. Kung makita po namin, in one to two days i-open po namin. Wala pong itatagal ang pag-open ng inyong mga bodega. Kumpletuhin niyo lang po at siguraduhin na ang imbentaryo sa inyong documents na naipresenta ay tama,” Enciso said.

(We tell them to immediately provide the required documents. If we can see it, we will open it in one to two days. The opening of their warehouses would not take long. Just complete it and make sure that the inventory in your documents presented is correct.) —Mel Matthew Doctor/NB, GMA News