THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P12 million worth of smuggled onions at the Mindanao Container Terminal Port in Misamis Oriental.
Four containers of smuggled red and white onions were busted by the Bureau of Customs-Port of Cagayan de Oro on July 19, marking the port’s second seizure of smuggled goods in less than 2 weeks.
The shipments, which arrived last July 12 from China and consigned to “Primex Export and Import Producer,” were declared to be “spring roll patti [sic].”
District Collector Elvira Cruz immediately issued on July 13 a “Pre-Lodgment Control Order,” or PLCO, against the subject shipment.
A “Warrant of Seizure and Detention,” or WSD, will be issued against the shipment for violation of Section 1400 of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Cruz is hoping the seizure “will serve as a stern warning to unscrupulous individuals who will deprive the government of lawful revenues to stop their smuggling activities.”
Earlier this month, five containers of smuggled red onions, white onions and carrots estimated to be worth P15 million were also seized by the BOC-Port of Cagayan de Oro and the Intelligence Group at the Mindanao Container Terminal Port.
The shipments consigned to Primex Export and Import Producer, which arrived from China on July 2 were declared as “autolysed [sic] yeast in powder form.”
Out of the P8.37 billion seized smuggled goods from January to June this year, P284.02 million were agricultural products.
Last year, the BOC seized some P28.4-billion worth of smuggled goods, of which P1.23 billion were agricultural products.