(Photo courtesy of Bureau of Customs)
MANILA, Philippines — Authorities have discovered an abandoned shipment of boxes of kimchi from China which were used to conceal nearly P1 million worth of smuggled white onions.
In a report released only on Thursday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu said it declared as abandoned last March 23 the 147 boxes of kimchi, which were used to obscure the contraband onions valued at around P998,700.
“The examination of the first container [van] yielded 3,329 bags of undeclared white onions stacked behind the boxes of kimchi. The inventory of the other container is still ongoing,” the BOC said .
(Photo courtesy of Bureau of Customs)
After the examination and inventory, the BOC said the onions and boxes of kimchi will immediately be discarded “in close coordination” with the Bureau of Plant Industry and as required by existing Customs rules and regulations.
Smuggling of onions and other agricultural products has prompted President and concurrent Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to order the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation to go after smugglers.