About 4,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar as well as a vessel were seized by the Bureau of Customs at the Port of Batangas on Saturday, January 14.
In a press release, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said the shipment which contains 80,000 bags of Thailand White Refined Sugar worth ₱261 million was found aboard the vessel MV Sunward
BOC said the vessel arrived in the country's contiguous zone without a Notice of Arrival as prescribed by existing customs laws, rules, and regulations as well as permits.
Upon discovery of the cargo, POB District Collector Atty. Rhea Gregorio issued a Warrant of Seizure of Detention citing violations against the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, and the Food Safety Act of 2013.
As an ISO-Certified Port, Batangas has a foolproof system that safeguards its area of responsibility against attempts to smuggle prohibited and regulated goods into the country. This airtight system has yielded positive results for the Port.
Prior to this, the BOC seized P23,847,000 worth of smuggled imported refined sugar from Hong Kong at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
