Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Tuesday led an inter-agency inspection of 10 container vans suspected of carrying smuggled agricultural commodities, potentially the biggest single seizure under the newly enacted Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) clarified that 52 container vans, not 59 as initially reported, had been flagged due to seven overlapping alerts.
Of the 52, 21 container vans were released after passing inspection and securing clearance from the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The shipments are suspected of violating not only the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act but also provisions of the Food Safety Act of 2013 and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
The 10 vans inspected Tuesday, all originating from China, were found to contain frozen mackerel, fresh carrots, and yellow onions—all requiring import permits, which were notably absent.
Their estimated value stands at P100 million, with the additional seizure of 31 container vans possibly worth several hundred million pesos.
In a separate operation, three more container vans were seized after inspections revealed shipments of carrots and frozen mackerel also lacked necessary permits.
“We have here frozen mackerels, fresh onions, and carrots—all imported illegally, without the necessary regulatory clearances. These products will be subjected to testing to determine their safety for human consumption. If found unfit, they will be destroyed immediately. Our priority is the protection of public health and the livelihood of our farmers and fisherfolk,” said Tiu Laurel.
The inspection comes just days before Tiu Laurel is scheduled to take a two-week medical leave starting July 9, 2025, to undergo a procedure he has deferred since entering public service in November 2023.
Undersecretary Roger Navarro will serve as officer-in-charge during his absence.
The secretary is expected to return by July 24, just ahead of President Marcos’s State of the Nation Address.
