Manila: Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno on Tuesday led the inspection of five containers of misdeclared frozen agricultural products and foodstuffs estimated to be worth more than PHP23 million from China, including duties and taxes.
According to Philippines News Agency, the shipments were declared to contain various food products, including Fu Hua Lao Jiang Brand Classic Squid Ball, Fish Tofu, Fish Roe Balls, and Qianye Tofu, and underwent a 100 percent physical examination. The inspection uncovered assorted misdeclared and illegally imported frozen agricultural products, including peeled chicken breast, skinless chicken breast, frozen pigeon, Peking duck, frozen duck meat, and other frozen food items.
The shipments have an estimated value of PHP17,030,697.28, with corresponding duties and taxes amounting to PHP6,238,192.46, for a total value of PHP23,268,889.74. The BOC added that the shipments were flagged through Customs intelligence, risk assessment, and profiling, resulting in the issuance of three Pre-Lodgment Control Orders (PLCOs) and two Alert Orders.
On the other hand, Nepomuceno emphasized the BOC's commitment to enforcing customs laws while strengthening coordination with the Department of Agriculture in preventing the entry of illegally imported agricultural commodities that threaten food safety, biosecurity, and the livelihood of local farmers and producers. 'We thank Secretary Francisco Laurel and the entire Department of Agriculture for their continued collaboration with the Bureau of Customs in the fight against agricultural smuggling,' he said. 'Operations like this prove that our law enforcement becomes more effective when our agencies work together.'
Port of Manila District Collector Rizalino Jose Torralba issued Warrants of Seizure and Detention (WSDs) against the five shipments for violations of Republic Act (RA) 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), in relation to RA 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013. The seized shipments are likewise subject to investigation for possible violations of RA 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, as the aggregate value of the goods exceeds the PHP10 million threshold for large-scale agricultural smuggling.
