Customs authorities have seized P4 million worth of chemical refrigerants at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported that 1,150 units of Koman refrigerants have been found inside a 20-feet container at the MICP on September 7.
The BOC added that the package did not have the necessary permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“Based on DENR records, the importer has neither renewed their registration as an importer nor secured a Pre-Shipment Importation Clearance [PSIC] resulting in the interception of their goods,” BOC said.
The subject container was consigned to Barcolair Philippines Inc. and was processed by Customs broker Alex Talaboc Bayot.
The agency said that the shipment was intercepted for alleged violation of Section 117 in relation to Section 1113 of the Republic Act 10863, or the Customs Modernization Tariff Act (CMTA), as well as Customs Memorandum Order No. 9-2015 in relation to RA 6969 and EMB Memorandum Circular Order 2005-03.
“EMB MC 2005-03 requires all importers of chemicals that are alternatives to ozone-depleting substances to register with EMB [Environment Management Bureau] and must secure a PSIC before the entry of such chemicals into the country,” the bureau said.
Back in August, the BOC launched the Environmental Protection and Compliance Division (EPCD), a permanent and specialized unit tasked to monitor and control the entry of hazardous substances and other waste materials that other countries are attempting to dump in the Philippines.