Operatives of the Sugar Monitoring and Anti-Smuggling Campaign Thursday seized 14,494 bags of imported refined sugar in raids in two Metro Manila locations, Sugar Regulatory Administrator Rafael Coscolluela announced yesterday.

At the market value of legitimate "D" sugar of P1,050 per lkg, the seized sugar would have a total cost of P15 million, he said.

Pictures and video footage of the raids showed strong evidence of the involvement of a sugar trader, not Negros based, and of buyers who repack Thai sugar into fake Victorias Milling Co. sacks, Coscolluela said.

"We are looking at a well-funded syndicate that is apparently capable of smuggling large volumes of refined sugar," Coscolluela, who aired anew a warning to buyers of imported sugar, said.

"Imported sugar cannot be retailed in local markets," he added.

"We will go after anyone engaged in this illegal activity, even retailers who claim ignorance," Coscolluela said, while urging the public to report the presence of imported sugar in any retail outlet.

In Negros concerns have been raised that the entry of cheap smuggled sugar into the country will drive down farmgate prices of domestically produced sugar to the detrimnent of local producers.

Operatives from the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group, acting on the urgent request of Coscollluela and SMAS-Task Force Greater Manila coordinator Johanna Jadoc, swooped down on two locations pinpointed by SRA intelligence agents.

The first, located in a private compound at West Service Road in Bicutan, yielded 6,607 bags of Thailand sugar, Coscolluela said.

The second raid yielded 7,887 bags in a private wharehouse at Bgy. Ugong in Valenzuela, he added.

The sugar apparently came from the same source – 50 containers of misdeclared sugar alleged to have somehow evaded Bureau of Customs officials at the Manila International Container Terminal, Coscolluela said.

In a conference with PASG agents and SRA officials yesterday afternoon, Coscolluela said he thanked the raiding team members and discussed appropriate next steps to be taken.

One container of undocumented sugar, parked a day before within the premises of MICT at North Harbor, was found parked outside the wharehouse in Valenzuela, he said.

The same container is now sealed and under the temporary custody of PASG, he added.

The two raids came after a similar raid conducted in Tuguegrao City on Jan. 8 that yielded a smaller volume of 489 bags, also from Thailand, Coscolluela said.

Coscolluela, who had earlier discussed SMAS-TF plans with sugar industry representatives who sit in the anti-smuggling Oversight Committee, said the successful operations are an encouraging start, but cautioned that much work was still necessary before sugar smuggling is eradicated.

He also appealed for the support of sugar producers.*CPG

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