Over P5 million worth of suspected smuggled vegetables and fruits were seized in warehouses in Manila following complaints of Benguet local traders on poor sales even during the peak of the Christmas season, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported on Wednesday.

“We hear you. That’s what we want to say to our vegetable farmers and traders. We assure you that we are going after these groups and we are being diligent in prosecuting them, so they cannot victimize our hard-working farmers again,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said.

“This is why we are committed as ever to come after these smuggling groups—it is our farmers, our economy, and our consumers that we aim to protect with these operations,” he added.

Officials from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service at the Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) and the  National Bureau of Investigation went to three warehouses– one in San Nicolas and two in Binondo—to implement the letters of authority.

Verne Enciso, director of BOC intelligence department, said that the team inspected the warehouses and found fresh imported broccoli worth an estimated P2 million in the San Nicolas storage.

In Binondo, they also found a warehouse along Sto. Cristo St. that contained fresh imported vegetables and fruits, among which were bell peppers, and garlic sprouts, among others, which have a combined worth of more or less P2 million.

In addition, another storage along El Cano St. also in Binondo yielded cauliflower, yam, water bamboo, lotus root, spinach, tomato, baby cabbage, crown daisy, and apple with an estimated worth of P1 million.

“These were just the initial assessment of the value of these goods. There will be a thorough inventory and inspection of the goods found to determine the exact value, so we can file the appropriate cases against the owners of the warehouses and the companies and people behind these smuggling activities,” Enciso stated.

The assigned Customs examiners will manage the inventory of the goods, and to be witnessed by agents from the intelligence department and the respective warehouse representatives.

Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Juvymax Uy reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to follow the orders of President Marcos in preventing the illegal entry of smuggled products.

“I believe I speak here for everyone when I say we are equally frustrated by reports from farmers and traders that their Christmas sales were severely impacted by smuggling. Anti-smuggling operations go through a long and rigorous process, but this process also ensures we will put these perpetrators in courts and behind bars,” he said.

The owners of the warehouses will be given 15 days to present the proper documents to clear out allegations they were storing illegally imported vegetables and fruits.

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).