Intelligence agents of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have confiscated around P150 million worth of agricultural products, which are all believed to have been smuggled into the country, in separate inspections in warehouses in Manila, Caloocan and Navotas.
BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio said the confiscated items include frozen meat and fresh fruits and were discovered inside six cold storage facilities following the inspections on April 12 based on the Letter of Authority (LOA) he issued.
Agents from the Customs intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), led by Intelligence Officer 3 Alvin Enciso, inspect boxes of allegedly smuggled agricultural products found in six warehouses in the cities of Manila, Navotas, and Caloocan on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
The inspections were conducted by agents from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP), Enforcement and Security Service-MICP (ESS-MICP) and ESS-Quick Reaction Team (ESS-QRT) based on the Letter of Authority he issued.
After the representatives of the warehouses acknowledged the LOA, Rubio said the team found imported agricultural products—frozen beef, pork, chicken, round scad, squid, and fish products—and fresh fruits, such as apples, oranges, grapes, and kiwi.
The seized products from China have an estimated value of P150 million.
“Right now, our team is a well-oiled machine running after these smuggling groups. The operations yesterday showed how our officers work day and night to make sure these products will not make it to our local markets,” said Rubio.
“Law enforcement and border control are challenging work. A country’s borders, in particular, are dynamic environments. We hope we are sending a clear message to these groups that we will never tire,” he added.
Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy said the inspections stemmed from the derogatory information they received, which he said, was immediately acted on by Rubio by issuing the LOA.
“While we want to thank the good commissioner for relentlessly reminding us of the work that lies ahead, I also want to commend our tireless BOC officers who face these challenges every day. They are armed with extensive training, sound judgment, and more than anything else, a steadfast commitment to our mandate,” said Uy.
During the operation, Uy said their team found that one of the Navotas warehouses was found to be empty but was being constructed purposely as cold storage.
He added that the BOC composite team proceeded to temporarily padlock and seal the warehouses, including the empty storage facility.
CIIS-MICP head Alvin Enciso said the inventory of the goods will be conducted by the assigned Customs examiner and would be witnessed by agents from the CIIS and ESS-QRT.
He said the owners of the goods would be asked to present importation documents or proof of payment by the Customs authorities.
If found without proper documents, the corresponding seizure and forfeiture proceedings will be conducted against the subject shipments for violation of Sec. 1400 (misdeclaration in goods declaration) in relation to Sec. 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of Republic Act No. 10863 known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
Meanwhile, Uy said he and Rubio plan to personally visit the facilities where the suspected smuggled products were found.