The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is preparing to file economic sabotage charges against the importer behind the recently seized P202-million worth of misdeclared frozen mackerel at the Port of Manila.
The agency is ramping up legal action to hold smugglers accountable and protect the country’s food security, BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said.
Earlier, BOC operatives confiscated 19 forty-foot container vans containing frozen mackerel that were falsely declared as Frozen Fried Taro Sticks, Cuttle Fish Flavored Balls, and Taro Sweet Potato Balls. The misdeclared shipment, valued at P202,814,400, was intercepted as part of BOC’s intensified anti-smuggling operations.
Following the seizure, the BOC issued Warrants of Seizure and Detention against the illegal shipment. The Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) is now building a case against the importers for violations of Section 1401 (Unlawful Importation) and Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification, and Undervaluation in Goods Declaration) under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
The agency is also working with the Department of Finance (DOF) to pursue criminal cases under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act. This law classifies large-scale agricultural smuggling as a heinous crime, punishable by life imprisonment and hefty fines. Smuggling undermines local industries, distorts market prices, and threatens national food security, Rubio stressed.
The crackdown is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to combat agricultural smuggling, which severely impacts farmers and fisherfolk. The administration has prioritized strengthening border security and eliminating illicit trade that destabilizes the economy.
Under Commissioner Rubio, the BOC has reinforced its anti-smuggling efforts through stricter border control, intelligence-driven enforcement, and closer collaboration with other government agencies to ensure successful prosecution of smugglers.
The BOC reaffirmed its commitment to uphold customs laws and safeguard the agricultural sector from illegal trade, vowing to pursue all legal avenues to hold perpetrators accountable.
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