AAES Council seizes P38M smuggled rice in Cebu

The Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage (AAES) Council seized an estimated P38 million worth of rice, comprising around 26,000 sacks, in Talisay City, Cebu.

The operation, which marked the first enforcement action under the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act of 2024, was led by the AAES Council with personnel from the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, Department of Agriculture, and Philippine Coast Guard.

The rice, allegedly smuggled from Pakistan and Vietnam, was discovered in a warehouse in Barangay San Roque.

AAES Council Chairperson Frederick Go confirmed that the rice products were illegally brought into the country and stated that the operation should serve as a warning to economic saboteurs.

Go emphasized that the Council is mandated to dismantle large-scale syndicates that manipulate markets and unfairly inflate prices, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s commitment to food security.