Manila, Philippines: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P30 million worth of allegedly smuggled sugar at the Port of Subic, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona explained that the BOC withheld the release of 10,000 bags containing 500 metric tons of misdeclared sugar imports from Vietnam, reported Inquirer.net
The SRA did not reveal the identity of the consignee, stating that it had yet to determine who the importer was.
In a briefing on Tuesday evening, Azcona mentioned that the confiscated commodity, which was seized about three weeks ago, contained 88 percent sugar and 12 percent glucose, but was declared as white sweet powder.
“It’s technically brought in as not sugar. However, it’s under[going] testing (to determine its sugar content)…” he said, adding the SRA deployed its personnel to extract samples for chemical analysis.
“Based on the packaging and appearance, it seems like it was intended for resale, but that’s just my personal opinion,” he told reporters.
Azcona noted that the tests would determine whether the commodity is, in fact, sugar. If confirmed, the BOC would either confiscate it or sell it through the Kadiwa store.
“Typically, confiscated sugar is either sold or auctioned. However, we suggest that before any auction, the SRA should classify it for domestic use, so we can track the volumes,” he added.
Azcona emphasized that the spread of such commodities could harm the sugarcane industry.
