BOC seizes 300 cylinders of refrigerant gas in Cebu

A shipment of 300 cylinders of refrigerant gas from China that is believed to be dangerous to the ozone layer was confiscated by the Bureau of Customs - Port of Cebu personnel.

In a statement posted on Wednesday, BOC-Port of Cebu personnel confiscated some 300 cylinders containing Trifluoromethane, a chemical compound classified as a greenhouse gas.

Officers from the Environmental Protection and Compliance Division (EPCD)-Cebu requested a pre-lodgment control order based on derogatory information that the importation is not covered with the necessary clearance from the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) upon the shipment’s arrival on May 11.

The inspection was conducted by Customs Examiner Ronor Alinsug, alongside representatives from the EPCD, the Enforcement and Security Service, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, the X-Ray Inspection Project Team, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the EMB.

“Under DENR-EMB Memorandum Circular No. 2005-03, importation of alternatives to ozone-depleting substances such as Trifluoromethane must be covered with Pre-shipment Importation Clearance prior to its entry into the Philippine territory,” the BOC said.

A warrant of seizure and detention was issued by District Collector Charlito Martin Mendoza against the shipment for violation of Section 117 of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

The shipment is now under the custody of the BOC-Cebu and shall be disposed of after the finality of the forfeiture proceedings. -- Mel Matthew Doctor/BAP, GMA News