The cargo ship MV Diamond 8 with the smuggled rice in Zamboanga Sibugay
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will not allow the resell of smuggled rice from Zamboanga, Sibugay unless the shipment goes through proper investigation.
According to Atty. Lyceo Martinez, BOC’s collection officer in Zamboanga, the agency is giving the owner of the shipment as well as the owner of the cargo vessel, MV Diamond 8, ample time to prepare for the investigation.
BOC said the process will take time because the ship involved is an international vessel. If the owners are proven to have violated the Philippine law, a warrant of seizure and detention will be issued against them and the shipment.
“After considering all the facts of the case from the Navy at saka sa mga may-ari ng barko (and the vessel owners)…after the proper seizure and forfeiture proceedings, doon pa lang natin sila pwedeng i-auction (only then can we hold the auction),” Martinez explained.
On Tuesday, representatives from the Philippine Navy, BOC, the Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Quarantine met to discuss the joint inventory on the smuggled rice.
“We want to turn this over to the proper agencies and then iyong sa crew naman, doon sa (as for the crew, turn them over to the) Bureau of Immigration. As far as the goods are concerned naman itu-turn over namin ito sa (we will turn them over to the) Bureau of Customs,” Col. Joe Anthony Orbe, the acting commander of the Naval Task Force said.
The shipment includes 27,180 sacks of rice valued at P67 million.
The BOC wants to make sure through the inventory if there are other illegal items aside from the smuggled rice on board MV Diamond 8. — Dante Amento | UNTV News & Rescue
The post BOC holds off auction plans for smuggled rice in Zamboanga Sibugay appeared first on UNTV News.