Four criminal complaints were filed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) against three rice traders on September 29, after recent seizures and investigations in various warehouses in Bulacan.
In August, Customs agents uncovered imported sacks of rice in different Bulacan warehouses that were estimated to valued at least P260 million. These were believed to have come from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Upon establishing probable cause, the BOC issued warrants of seizure and detention against the subject warehouses for alleged violations of Customs laws, rules, and regulations.
Subsequently, on September 29, the bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers, presented its findings and filed appropriate criminal charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against the owners and proprietors of the warehouses for rice smuggling.
The four criminal complaints involved violations of Republic Act 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and RA 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law.
Among the cases filed, three pertained to large scale smuggling which violates RA 10845, known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act.
Photo by BOC
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