RM286,000 rice seized not from Sabah: Group
Published on: Thursday, November 15, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: The Zambasulta Traders Association disputed a report in local dailies in Zamboanga that Php3.6m (RM286,396) of smuggled rice seized by city authorities originated from Sabah, Malaysia."Our investigations showed that the smuggled rice originated from Vietnam and were brought in to Zamboanga City via Sulu province last week.," Zambasulta President Faizal Jamalul told Daily Express."It was wrong to report that the contraband rice originated from Sabah. It insinuates that Sabah authorities allow transhipment of smuggled items to neighbouring southern Mindanao".ADVERTISEMENT On Nov 7, local newspapers published a report claiming that the smuggled rice was intercepted in Zamboanga City by joint elements from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Task Force Zamboanga.The report quoted Coast Guard spokesperson Lt Comdr Arman Balilo as saying the contraband came from Sabah and were about to be delivered on board two trucks when intercepted by local authorities along RT Lim Boulevard.The operation was apparently conducted after Coast Guard received information from the 11th Infantry Battaliom, Task Force Zamboanga that there was loading of smuggled rice to a truck.The maritime patrol at Taha Wharf, Baliwasan Seaside in Zamboanga initially yielded negative results but the team later spotted the two trucks near the Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College.ADVERTISEMENT The trucks and their cargoes were turned over to Customs in Zamboanga for proper disposition.Faizal said that the shipper did not have the required import permits and other licenses when the items were intercepted.
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"Only a small portion of the huge bulk of the smuggled rice were seized. The vessel has just started unloading the bags of rice when operatives intercepted the operation" Faizal said adding that the contraband came from the provinces of Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.Last weekend, local authorities also seized thousand of bags of smuggled rice inside a warehouse in the city."We do not want that people to think that every time smuggled rice that is intercepted and seized comes from Sabah. Such impression will spoil the name of our neighbour and in the long run create negative impact on the soon to be revive barter trade activities between Sabah, Indonesia and the Philippines," Zambasulta stressed.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Last month, 23,015 sacks of smuggled rice were also intercepted on board three vessels in Zamboanga City by joint elements of the PCG, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) following information that the vessels carried illegal drugs.The rice was turned over to BoC-Zamboanga, which later went missing while under its custody, prompting then Commissioner Isidro Lapena to order the preventive suspension and the filing of administrative charges against various officials including Customs. - Nikko Fabian