Customs announces seizure of ₱524.27M agricultural goods

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced the seizure of assorted agricultural goods worth more than ₱524.27M earlier uncovered by government agents at a warehouse in Valenzuela City.

At a press briefing on November 10 at the Everfresh Cold Storage, Hermoso Compound in Bgy. Dalandan, Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the goods have been seized after their unnamed registered owner/s failed to submit documents establishing they were legally imported.

Manila International Container Port (MICP) District Collector Atty. Felipe Geoffrey De Vera said he issued the WSD (warrant of seizure and detention) against the shipment on November 9, after “discrepancies” were noted in the inventory and submitted importation documents.

Based on the initial investigation, no sufficient documents were presented to establish the legal importation of the products, payment of the correct duties and taxes, and import permit from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The seizure follows the initial intelligence validation jointly conducted by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) headed by Director Jeff Tacio and the National Capital Region Office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBIC-NCR) headed by Atty. Emeterio Dongallo Jr. regarding the possible storage of smuggled goods at the facility.

On October 9, Commissioner Nepomuceno issued the Letter of Authority (LOA) for the operation while the actual physical inspection and inventory took place on October 17.

Customs said they discovered 99,289 sacks of red onions valued at ₱372.3 million; 20,886 sacks of beans and legumes valued at ₱103.7 million; and 18,016 boxes of ginger and carrots valued at ₱26 million.

Other items found included peanut products, textured vegetable protein, laundry bluing powder, packaging materials, and four forklifts. The total estimated market value of all products covered by the operation reached ₱524,274,355.

Investigators also reportedly found approximately 41,033 sacks of red onions and other products that could not be reconciled with the submitted documents.

Based on the markings on the packaging, some of the products originated from China, Argentina, Australia, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, and Egypt. However, the origin of the red onions and several other products is yet to be determined.

“Simply presenting documents is not enough. It must be clear where the products came from, whether they were legally brought into the country, and whether the correct taxes were paid. If violations are found, we will ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

“We will not allow our local farmers to suffer losses because of agricultural smuggling,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said.

He added that they are now looking at the possibility of charging those behind the shipment for violation of RA 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act of 2024.

The law carries the much heavier penalty of life imprisonment and no bail for the smuggling of agricultural products classified as ‘economic sabotage.’

Aside from Tacio, De Vera, and Dongallo, among those who joined Commissioner Nepomuceno during the inspection are Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement (DCE) Nolasco Bathan, Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence (DCI) Emmanuel Luis Licup and representatives from other government agencies.