Case of Section 2302

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines -- Sugar industry leaders here on Saturday hailed the discovery
and seizure of allegedly smuggled Thai sugar worth P2.5 million in Quezon City last Thursday.

The sugar was intercepted through information received by the Philippine Sugar Alliance,
according to Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the
Philippines Inc.

The 1,547 bags of smuggled refined sugar with "MITRPHOL Thailand" markings were found by
Sugar Regulatory Administration and Presidential Anti Smuggling group operatives in the
warehouse of Willchan Trading on Mayon Street, Quezon City, owned by a certain Willy Chan,
he added.

Lamata said the seized sugar would be turned over to the Bureau of Customs.

The Bureau of Customs will serve a writ of seizure and detention on the owner of the warehouse
in order to pull out the smuggled sugar, Lamata said.

SRA Administrator Rafael Coscolluela, the former governor of Negros Occidental, confirmed
that three containers of sugar delivered to Willchan Trading were intercepted and seized.

The PSA had fielded its own team to conduct surveillance operations for smuggled sugar that led
to the discovery of the Thai sugar, Lamata said.

"We are requesting the government to put behind bars people who smuggle sugar, which it has
failed to do in the past," he said.