AN operation conducted by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on three warehouses in Tondo, Manila on September 16, 2023 led to the discovery of P400 million worth of suspected smuggled rice and other imported products.

Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio disclosed that of the estimated total amount of the goods found in the warehouses, P90.2 million were from some 36,086 sacks of imported rice from Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar.

“While our government and kababayans scramble to make rice cheaper and more accessible, these businesses are possibly smuggling and hoarding them, which further adversely impacts our efforts to bring the prices down,” he said as he noted the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to intensify the bureau’s anti-smuggling and anti-hoarding efforts on the country’s staple grain.

Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy added that the operative team, composed of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), implemented the Letters of Authority (LOAs) signed by the Commissioner against three warehouses located in Antonio Rivera St. and Dagupan St. in Tondo, Manila.

“We were expecting to find rice, but it was still disappointing to see tens of thousands of sacks of rice in these storage areas, especially since our very own people are clamoring for more supply and to bring the prices down further even amid the price ceiling we now have,” he said.

“But not only that, because the team also found millions worth of other goods that could hurt our markets more,” Uy added.

Of the P400.2 million worth of goods found, P310 million were imported miscellaneous goods, such as children’s toys, cosmetics, kitchenware, household wares, videoke machine, fabrics, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, shoes, apparel, and general merchandise.

CIIS Director Verne Enciso underscored the importance of verifying derogatory information and tapping the right people who can deliver tangible results.

“Of course, we always say this in the bureau—that without our field agents, we won’t accomplish anything. The ground work is the hardest part, but that’s what our agents do on a daily basis,” he said.

CIIS-MICP and PCG agents were not the only ones whose dedication was lauded as the official also stressed the “very critical roles” that the bureau’s informants play to bring these operations into fruition.

“This is another example of the tenacity and forward-thinking initiatives of our people to secure our borders and halt the smuggling and hoarding of this basic food on every Filipino table,” Enciso added.

Upon arrival at the warehouses, the team presented the LOAs to the warehouse representatives before proceeding to inspect the storage areas.

They temporarily placed padlocks and seals on the said warehouses, while inventory of the goods will be conducted by the assigned Customs examiner.

The visitorial and inspection authority of the BOC is in accordance with Chapter 2, Section 224 of Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).