The Bureau of Customs (BoC) yesterday seized at least 200 container vans which contained 150,000 sacks of smuggled rice worth P250 million at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).

The shipment, which came from Vietnam, arrived during the early part of June and divided into three shipments.

According to a radio report, the shipments were consigned to Sta. Rosa Agricultural Company whose office is located in Sta. Cruz, Manila, but it was discovered that the company did not have the necessary permits from the National Food Authority.

Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said the seized sacks of rice contained high quality of commercial kind of Thai rice with only five percent of the shipments found broken.

The sacks of rice can be sold at P2,500 per sack.

Lapeña ordered the confiscated smuggled rice to be auctioned off and the cancellation of the license of the consignee.

Lapeña, however, did not disclose the names of the company officials involved pending investigations.

Meanwhile, the BoC also destroyed P22 million worth of fake cigarettes and other smuggled goods at the Manila International Container Port.

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