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BOC agents conduct 2 raids, seize P220M in imported sugar

The seized imported sugar.*

Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District) said the Bureau of Customs (BOC) raids on warehouses in Pampanga and Bulacan suspected to be hoarding thousands of sacks of sugar on Thursday, August 18, were part of government’s drive to ensure sufficient supply for the country.

Seized were 44,000 sacks of imported sugar estimated to cost P220 million in warehouses in Bulacan and Pampanga, the BOC reported.

“What is important is government is taking active and aggressive steps to stabilize sugar supply,” said Yulo, who joined sugar leaders in a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang on Wednesday.

Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez has already warned that the government will continue going after unscrupulous traders jacking up prices of sugar, Yulo said.

The retail price of sugar has gone up from P50 a kilo to more than P100 because of an alleged supply shortage.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed BOC to exercise its visitorial powers to all Customs bonded warehouses and to check on the inventory of imported agricultural products with the aim of finding out if there is hoarding of sugar, a Malacañang press release said Thursday.

“The BoC’s sugar warehouse raids may very well serve as a warning to unscrupulous traders who are currently hoarding their stocks of sugar in order to profit from the current artificial sugar shortage situation,” Rodriguez said.*

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