A shipment declared as personal protective equipment but turned out to contain medicines was recently intercepted at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), the Bureau of Customs said.

Boxes of medicines and medicinal ointments were found in a shipment declared to contain personal protective gears and facemasks during an inspection on September 15.

The shipment with an estimated value of P50,000 came from Singapore and was consigned to F.E.R.N. Freight Enterprises, the bureau said.

According to MICP District Collector Romeo Allan Rosales, the shipment did not have any import permits or clearances from pertinent government agencies, stressing that the importer attempted to bring in the undocumented medicines by taking advantage of the Customs’ expedited process on shipments related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Rosales aired his concern on the possible adverse effects of using medicines which did not go through the necessary clearances set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A warrant of seizure and detention was issued against shipment for the possible violation of Section 1113 (f) and Section 117 in connection with Section 1401 of Republic Act No. 10863 otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Meanwhile, a shipment of P40-million smuggled cigarettes were also intercepted at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan on September 18.

The shipment which arrived from China on September 17 was alerted after the bureau received information through Project Crocodile.

Project Crocodile is an information sharing scheme between customs administration of member countries including notifying each other if there are movements of suspicious cigarette shipments.

The shipment was seized for violation of National Tobacco Administration (NTA) Memorandum Circular No. 03 Series of 2004 and NTA Board Resolution No. 079-2005 in relation to Section 1113 (f) and Section 1400 (Misdeclaration) of the CMTA.