Bureau of Customs agents seized some P53 million worth of agricultural products which were declared as fishball, a popular street food in the country, which came from China.
POM District Collector Arsenia Ilagan, said the seized goods arrived in Manila last month from China and consigned to Shinerise Trading Service.
Based on the initial report, the consignee declared the shipment as fishball with total declared duties and taxes of P2,542,882.00.
Upon inspection of the shipment, Customs examiners discovered more than P20 million worth of carrots, P20 million worth of onions, P10 million worth of broccoli and P2 million worth of potatoes.
“The goods were seized for misdeclaration in violation of Section 1400 Misdeclaration, Misclassification and Undervaluation in Goods Declaration, in relation to Section 1113 “Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture, of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act [CMTA],” Ilagan said.
Ilagan said has already ordered the cancellation of the consignee’s accreditation, while the Customs broker is under investigation.
Only recently, the BOC also seized P665,000 worth of smuggled rice at the Port of Zamboanga and P24 million worth of misdeclared shipments of carrots, onions and potatoes at the Manila International Container Port.
The seizure of smuggled agri products was part of the bureau’s continuing drive against smuggling in the country.