The Bureau of Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle P9.3 million worth of agarwood, a highly valued and regulated forest product at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The BOC-NAIA officials, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), intercepted three outbound parcels at a warehouse facility in Pasay City.
The parcels were initially declared as “dried alingatong wood chips” but were flagged for inspection due to suspicious images.
Upon physical examination, officials found 12.42 kilograms of agarwood concealed inside, valued at P9,315,000.
The attempted smuggling violates several laws, including the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863), the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (RA 9147), and the Revised Forestry Code (PD 705). Vito Barcelo
