Over P34 million worth of misdeclared agricultural products from China were intercepted at the Port of Manila by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA), marking one of the first major test cases under the new Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
Six container vans, falsely declared as noodles, dumplings, and kimchi, were found to hold 74 metric tons of red onions (P10.2 million), white onions (P3.8 million), and frozen mackerel (P20 million). The shipments arrived on May 27 and June 1 and were inspected after alert orders were issued by the DA’s Inspectorate and Enforcement office through the Bureau of Plant Industry. A formal seizure order followed on June 23.
The cargo was consigned to Latinx Consumer Goods Trading and Lexxa Consumer Goods Trading, now under investigation. Violators of the new law face life imprisonment and fines up to five times the value of smuggled goods exceeding P10 million.
“We intend to use the full force of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act against these companies, including those who may have hired them,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., stressing the administration’s commitment to dismantling agricultural smuggling networks.
BOC officials, DA inspectors, and representatives from the FDA and Department of Health conducted a joint inspection on July 1. The BOC cited misdeclaration and lack of permits as violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Microbiological tests on previously seized onions revealed E. coli contamination, raising public health concerns.
“This seizure sends a clear message. We are committed to protecting our agricultural sector,” said Port of Manila Collector Alexander Alviar.
The crackdown reflects heightened inter-agency coordination, with DA Undersecretary Carlos Carag noting the growing number of successful interdictions. BPI Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban warned that misdeclared imports pose serious threats to food safety and national biosecurity.
The DA had sought the help of the BOC to suspend the release of more containers vans that arrived recently in other Philippine ports on suspicion they contain smuggled farm goods.
