Agents of the Bureau of Customs at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) seized around P4.2 million worth of rare agarwood in a warehouse in Pasay City.
BOC-NAIA District Collector Yasmin O. Mapa said, the packages were declared as mahogany chips and were shipped by an individual from San Juan to a recipient in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
She said a thorough physical examination revealed a total of 5.7 kilograms of rare agarwood.
Mapa said the shipments were seized for violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), as well as the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines (PD 705) and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (RA 9147).
The confiscated agarwood will be turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for proper handling.