The Department of Agriculture (DA) Office of Assistant Secretary for Inspectorate and Enforcement (DA I&E) filed on Feb. 9 agricultural smuggling cases against the captain and crew of the M/V Sunward after a joint inspection found P400 million worth of smuggled sugar.
The DA I&E, Bureau of Customs (BOC), and Philippine Coast Guard intercepted on Jan. 13 a vessel carrying 4,000 metric tons of smuggled white refined sugar from Thailand.
The M/V Sunward captain and crew claimed the vessel was headed to Taiwan, but data from the National Coast Watch Center showed that the contraband was headed to Batangas.
The ship’s Sugar Regulatory Administration import permit and BOC notice of arrival were missing, according to the DA I&E.
The ship’s crew, one Filipino, six Indonesians, and seven Chinese nationals, were charged with agricultural smuggling by the Batangas City Provincial Prosecutor.
DA Assistant Secretary James A. Layug said the Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the case. –Katrina Gracia Consebido/gb
