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# BOC Destroys P87.6 Million Worth of Smuggled Rice, Sugar in Zamboanga City
- URL: https://www.wwconemedia.com/boc-destroys-p87-6-million-worth-of-smuggled-rice-sugar-in-zamboanga-city/
- Published: 2026-09-09T00:53:16.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-09T00:53:16.000Z
- Author: WWC NEWSDESK
- Tags: ASIA, PHILIPPINES

**ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines —** The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has destroyed **P87.6 million worth of forfeited smuggled rice and sugar** in Zamboanga City after the goods were declared unfit for commerce and human consumption.

The destruction was carried out on **Tuesday, September 8, 2026**, at an accredited waste management facility in Manicahan village, Zamboanga City.

BOC-Port of Zamboanga District Collector **Manuel Zurbito Jr.** said the Department of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Plant Industry, certified the seized goods as unfit for consumption.

The agency said the destruction was intended to ensure the products could no longer enter the market and potentially reach consumers.

## Thousands of sacks destroyed

The confiscated goods included:

- **25,151 sacks of rice**, weighing 25 kilograms each
- **11,886 sacks of rice**, weighing 50 kilograms each
- **1,305 sacks of sugar**, weighing 50 kilograms each

Together, the goods were valued at approximately **P87.6 million**, based on their value when they arrived, according to Zurbito.

The destruction covered more than **37,000 sacks of rice and 1,300 sacks of sugar**, according to the BOC.

## Seized in operations dating back years

The rice had been confiscated during separate anti-smuggling operations conducted on **December 18, 2019, and September 12, 2021**.

The sugar was seized during operations on **November 4 and December 27, 2024**.

The goods were destroyed only after the required legal clearances were issued and orders of condemnation were secured.

## Goods pulverized before burial

Authorities used **pulverization and pressurized water** to destroy the seized commodities.

After being rendered unusable, the materials were buried in a pit at the accredited waste management facility.

Officials and representatives from partner government agencies witnessed the destruction.

## BOC: Destruction protects consumers

Zurbito said removing the goods from circulation helps prevent potentially unsafe products from reaching consumers while also strengthening the government's campaign against smuggling.

The BOC said the action also supports food security, fair competition and enforcement of customs laws.

The destruction marks the final disposal of commodities that had gone through the necessary forfeiture and condemnation procedures.

**What began as anti-smuggling seizures years ago has now ended with the permanent destruction of P87.6 million worth of rice and sugar—keeping goods deemed unsafe and unlawful out of the Philippine market.**

WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D