BOC seizes 21 containers of frozen mackerel worth P178.5 million

Bureau of Customs (BOC) | FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities impounded 21 containers with P178.5-million worth of frozen mackerel from China, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Citing the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) report, the BOC said the items arrived at the Manila International Container Port in September and remained unclaimed by the consignee.

This prompted the CIIS to contact the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to determine if the consignee has a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance.

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“Divine Ramos of the BFAR’s Fisheries Certification Section confirmed that the importer, ‘Pacific Sealand Foods Corporation,’ has no application for mackerel from August 30 to September 16, 2024,” the BOC disclosed.

Upon receiving this information, the agency said CIIS recommended the issuance of pre-lodgement control order for the 21 containers of frozen mackerel.

BOC Commissioner Bien Rubio explained that this recommendation or request “was made due to concerns that the shipment contained misclassified, misdeclared, and undeclared goods.”

“Our mission to protect the country’s agricultural sector is just as important, just as critical as our mission to stop illegal drugs and many others from entering our borders. Keeping smuggled agricultural products off our local markets ensures fair competition in the domestic market. It also keeps the costs of goods down,” Rubio explained.

“Currently, we are in the process of gathering information on the consignee of these shipments and filing appropriate cases. We also want to emphasize the importance of proper coordination among various government agencies that contributed to the seizure of these goods,” CIIS Director Verne Enciso, on the other hand, said.

BOC said the consignee may face charges for violating Sections 117 and 1113 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act in relation to Department of Agriculture (DA) Memorandum Order No. 14, series of 2024, and other existing regulations of the DA.