Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio led the inspection of container vans suspected to hold improperly declared red and yellow onions at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
Rubio said the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS-MICP) field office sought the physical examination of the shipments on the basis of derogatory information from China.
According to the Customs bureau, the shipments were covered by several bills of lading and various goods declarations and said to contain pizza dough and fish balls.
Acting on the CIIS-MICP report, Rubio and District Collector Arnoldo Famor inspected the shipments and confirmed that they contained mis declared red and yellow onions, among others, in violation of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Department Circular No. 04 Series of 2016.
Moreover, the pizza doughs used to conceal the red and yellow onions were not covered by the requisite license and permit from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), violating Republic Act No. 9711 or the Foods and Drugs Act of 2009.
Consequently, Famor issued warrants of seizure and detention (WSD) against the shipments for violating Section 1400 in relation to Section 117 of the Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), R.A. 9711 and the D.A. Department Circular No. 04 Series of 2016.
“The BOC shall continue to maximize its intelligence resources and capabilities and intensify enforcement measures against unscrupulous importers and their cohorts to combat smuggling attempts, especially those involving agricultural goods which are inimical to our local farmers and businesses,” Rubio said.
