Customs seizes P53M of smuggled agri-goods at Port of Manila

The Bureau of Customs–Port of Manila has seized 16 container vans full of misdeclared agricultural products valued at P53 million, the bureau said Wednesday.

The goods arrived at the port on August 8 from China, said District Collector Port of Manila District Collector Arsenia C. Ilagan.

Processed by Customs Broker Johnna Philipian Cristobal Aceveda, the shipments were consigned to Shinerise Trading Service.

Shinerise Trading declared the whole shipment as fishball, with total declared duties and taxes of P2,542,882.

Customs examiners inspected the shipment and found an estimated P20.08 million of carrots, P20.08 million of onions, P10.04 million of broccoli, and P2.51 million of potatoes.

On August 14, an alert was issued by the bureau that the goods were in violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA)—specifically Section 1400 or the “Misdeclaration, Misclassification and Undervaluation in Goods Declaration,” in relation to Section 1113 or “Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture.”

On September 4, the district collector issued a warrant of Seizure and Detention against the misdeclared shipment.

The consignee’s accreditation has been cancelled by the district collector while the Customs broker is now under investigation, the bureau said.

Republic Act No. 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 considers large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage. Violators may face up to life imprisonment and a fine of twice the value of the smuggled agricultural product and the aggregate amount of the taxes, duties and other charges.

“It may be recalled that last August 19, the Bureau of Customs also seized P665,000 worth of smuggled rice in the Port of Zamboanga and P24 million worth of misdeclared shipments of carrots, onions and potatoes last August 8 at the Manila International Container Port, ” the bureau said. —Joviland Rita/VDS, GMA News