Personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have confiscated around a ton of agricultural product shipments at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
In a statement, the BOC said the confiscated products were a result of the two-day operation starting on Aug. 8, when a total of 527.10 kilograms of fresh beef, 26.5 kilograms of fresh chicken, 60 pieces of eggs, 57.1 kilograms of various fruits and vegetables, and 57.10 kilograms of fishery products were seized.
The following day, another shipment from a Japanese passenger was confiscated consisting of 140.2 kilograms of meat and meat products, 10 pieces of eggs, 165 kilograms of fruits, plants, and vegetables, and 235.5 kilograms of assorted fishery products.
The BOC said the seized items lacked the required Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
“These operations are the direct result of the enhanced partnership between the Bureau and the DA, ensuring that our borders remain protected from the entry of unauthorized goods which may pose health hazards not only the consuming public but our local industries," said BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio