PAGADIAN
CITY: Police authorities recently confiscated imported rice in nearby
Dumalinao, a top police official announced.
The
P5-million worth of imported rice is smuggled and stored in a warehouse, said S/Supt.
Sofronio Ecaldre, PNP provincial police director.
Ecaldre
named the warehouse owner as Gregorio Yap.
Yap’s warehouse caretaker failed to present
documents to prove it was legally shipped and purchased.
Mayor
Ace William Cerilles was earlier tipped about the 5,400 bags of contraband
stocked at Yap’s warehouse, who then contacted the PNP.
The
raiding team also confiscated 4,000 empty sacks for 25 kilos and 50 kilos with
markings “D & A Pagadian Golden Grains well-milled rice.”
Ecaldre
said they padlocked the warehouse and is presently being guarded by policemen
while waiting for the arrival of BOC officials.
In
October, joint police and military personnel intercepted four trucks loaded
with smuggled rice at the Margosatubig port valued at P8-million.