QC warehouse raid yields 20,000 sacks of rice

(Updated 11:28 a.m.) MANILA, Philippines - A warehouse in Quezon City yielded some 20,000 sacks of rice during an inspection by government anti-smuggling operatives Wednesday night. In a radio interview, Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) head Antonio Villar Jr said his men have remained on guard at the warehouse as of Thursday morning, after finding the sacks. "Mga 20,000 sacks ito. Bawal ang cooperative magbibigay ng deed of assignment sa private rice dealer (There are 20,000 sacks. A cooperative supposedly gave a deed of assignment to a private rice dealer, and that is not allowed)," Villar said in an interview on dzBB radio. The warehouse is reportedly owned and operated by the Vertex International Products and Exchange Corp. A GMA Flash report said that the area located along Manhattan Street in Cubao was cordoned off at around 10 a.m. before authorities entered the warehouse. The television report said PASG officials estimate that cost of the sacks of jasmine rice, reportedly smuggled from Thailand, found in the warehouse to be between P15,000 and P20,0000. Citing initial information reaching him, Villar said in the radio interview that a multipurpose cooperative in Tarlac issued a "deed of assignment" to the owner of the warehouse. He did not name names. "Ang deed of assignment dito di pwede yan, bawal yan. Wala pa sila NFA license or signboard (A cooperative cannot give such a deed of assignment, that is not allowed. And this warehouse has no NFA license or even a signboard)," he added. The GMA television report also quoted the anti-smuggling officials as saying the company would be facing charges for several violations for operating without a license, failing to put price tags on the rice sacks, failing to display a signage, and non-maintenance of a logbook where entry and exit of rice shipments should have been recorded. - GMANews.TV