By BETHEENA KAE UNITE
One hundred containers of white rice said to be worth P125 million, consigned to a firm with a pending rice smuggling case, were seized at the Manila International Container PortĀ Monday.
A total of 100 20-footer containers loaded withĀ 2,500 tons of white riceĀ from ThailandĀ arrived onĀ June 14Ā without the necessary import permit from the National Food Authority, according to Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena.
The shipments, Lapena added, contains around 50,000 bags of rice.
ItĀ is consigned to Sta. Rosa Farm Products Corp., a rice importer which as has a pending case before the Department of Justice for unlawful importation of 200 containers of rice without the required import permit.
The shipment was processed by customs broker Diosdado M. Santiago of Intramuros, Manila.
It was disclosed that onĀ July 27, lawyer Vener Baquiran,Ā MICP districtĀ collector,Ā issued a warrant of seizure and detention against theĀ alertedĀ cargo.
The cargo was apprehended for violation of Section 117 in relation to NFA Letter Circular No. AO-2013-04-002, Section 1401 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and Republic Act No. 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act.
Lapena reiterated thatĀ NFA Letter Circular No. AO-2013-04-002 provides that rice importers are required to secure an NFA permit before the shipment arrives in the country.
āOnce the NFA is done with the examination and has issued report and recommendation as to the price, we will auction the goods immediately because of its perishable nature. The proceeds of the auction will be held in escrow pending final resolution of seizure and abandonment proceedings,ā LapeƱa said.
The previous rice shipment named to Sta. Rosa Farms had been auctioned off by the bureau where itĀ earned P177, 990, 888.
The shipment had also no import permit.
Last month, the bureauĀ filedĀ smuggling chargesĀ against the owner and officials ofĀ SantaĀ RosaĀ Farms Products Corporation for the unlawful importation of 200 containers ofĀ riceĀ from Thailand in June.