The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday seized P 4.2 million worth of onions smuggled from China at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) recovered three 40-foot shipping containers of the smuggled onions, which were hidden under bags of fresh garlic.
CIIS director Neil Anthony Estrella said the contraband arrived on July 7 from China at the MICP.
The onions were consigned to the Equicent Import and Export Corporation in the Port Area, Manila, which had no derogatory record with
the BOC.
However, the three containers ended up being confiscated after it was discovered that the consignee deliberately hid the smuggled onions with garlic on top.
The import permit stated that the containers were loaded with garlic, and not onions.
CIIS-MICP intelligence officer Teodoro Sagaral said there were only 80 bags of garlic inside the container, out of the 2,800 inspected by authorities.
“The import permit presented covers the fresh garlic only but it doesn’t account for the declared onions beneath the declared garlic,” he said.
Estrella added that the importers had no corresponding import permits from the Bureau of Plant Industry, which issues import permits for onions and garlic.
Following the recovery of the contraband, BOC enforcement group deputy commissioner Teddy Raval recommended the issuance of a warrant of seizure and detention for the misdeclaration.