By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday destroyed PHP87.6 million worth of spoiled smuggled rice and sugar commodities here.
Manuel Zurbito Jr., BOC-Port of Zamboanga district collector, said rice and sugar were destroyed after the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture certified that the goods were unfit for human consumption.
“Through this destruction, these goods are permanently removed from circulation and prevented from reaching our consumers, to protect public health, to deter smuggling, to ensure that only safe and lawful products enter the market,” Zurbito, a lawyer, said during the destruction activity at a waste management service firm here.
“This is a vital tool that safeguards food security, maintains fair competition, and reinforces the rule of law.”
The destroyed goods consist of 25,151 sacks of rice of 25 kilos each, 11,886 sacks of rice of 50 kilos each, and 1,305 sacks of sugar of 50 kilos each for a total worth of PHP87.6 million.
“This value was computed at the time of the arrival of these goods,” Zurbito said.
The smuggled rice commodities were confiscated in anti-smuggling operations on Dec. 18, 2019, and Sept. 12, 2021, while the sugar was seized on Nov. 4 and Dec. 27, 2024.
The confiscated goods were destroyed after the required legal clearances and the order of condemnation were secured.
The destruction process involved pulverizing the materials, spraying them with pressurized water, and then burying them in a pit.
Officials and representatives of BOC’s partner law enforcement agencies witnessed the activity. (PNA)
