THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has confiscated about 200,000 kilograms of suspected smuggled rice with an estimated value of P8 million in Zamboanga del Sur.

In partnership with the troops from the Philippine Navy and the 53rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, the BOC said that the rice shipment from Sandakan, Malaysia was intercepted around 10 p.m. on Friday at Margosatubig town.

The rice, contained in about 4,000 50-kg sacks (or about 200,000 kg), was on-board MV Amnesia and was in the process of being loaded into four, ten-wheeler trucks at the dock when intercepted.

Upon further checking, the vessel's captain, a certain Jade Jackaria, failed to show any import permit from the National Food Authority for the rice nor any import documents filed with the BOC, showing instead just the crew list and coasting manifest, Customs said.

Sandakan, Malaysia is only 628 kilometers from Zamboanga del Sur, or about 338.87 nautical miles. (SDR/Sunnex)