LIMAY, Bataan: Local port officials of the Bureau of Customs seized on Monday (Dec. 25) 2,025 metric tonnes of smuggled Vietnamese rice worth P100 million.
In a statement, the BOC said the smuggled white rice was detected at the Port of Orion, in the adjacent town of Orion.
The rice was loaded onto the ship M/V “SF Omega” which had been anchored there since Dec 21.
The vessel attempted to unload the rice shipment, which was declared illegal when the documents were in conflict with the Bureau of Plant Industry clearance, which allows only 1,700 MT of agricultural products.
The BOC found no proof to show that the rice importation was cleared by the national government.
Lawyer Sajid Jacalne, acting chief of the law division of the Port of Limay, signed the warrant of seizure and detention on Dec 24.
The identities of the suspects were withheld by the authorities. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
