Tuesday, October 24, 2006 Customs, CIDG seize two container vans from Vietnam
THE Criminal Detection and Investigation Group (CIDG) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have seized two container vans of rice that were illegally imported from Vietnam. The cargo arrived in Cebu three days ago aboard international vessel, mv Elena.
CIDG 7 Director Jose Jorge Corpuz said that as the operating arm of Task Force Against Smuggling, they sought permission from the BOC to validate reports about smuggled rice being shipped to Cebu.
When Corpuz opened the vans inside the Cebu International Port (CIP) in the presence of Nicome-dick “Dick” Cariño, chief of staff of Port of Cebu District Collector Ricardo Belmonte, it was confirmed that the two vans contained rice. Bldg. materials
In the vessel manifest, the cargo was declared as construction materials.
Corpuz said the consignee of the rice shipment, Summit Design Furniture, denied owning the cargo and submitted a waiver to CIDG.
Belmonte said he ordered the assessment chief to instruct the customs examiner to do an inventory, before he will issue a warrant of seizure and detention.
The result of the inventory will also be the basis to determine the value of the rice cargo.
Belmonte said that even before the CIDG coordinated with BOC in opening the vans, he already ordered the Port of Cebu enforcement groups to check the cargoes on mv Elena because of his suspicion that the vans contained misdeclared items.
The shipments were said to be “raw materials.”
Meanwhile, Corpuz said they will continue their operations against smuggling of all sorts, especially that Cebu is already known as a dumping ground of smuggled rice.
A few months ago, Teresa Alegado, president of the Grains Confederation of the Philippines denounced the rampant rice smuggling that competes with the local rice producers. (EOB)
