BOC intercepts P20M worth of smuggled onions in Misamis Oriental

Authorities intercepted P20 million worth of smuggled onions at the Mindanao Container Terminal Port in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday.

The operation on Wednesday was conducted in coordination with personnel from the BOC, Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). 

The BOC said information showed that shipments consigned to Asterzenmed Inc. contained onions instead of the declared bread and pastries.

The agency said 50,000 kilograms of onions from China arrived in Cagayan de Oro on December 6, 2022.

"Onions are being sold at higher prices in our local markets. This should not have been a predicament for an agricultural country like us," Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz said in a statement.

"The more empowered these people feel about smuggling these products, the more our economy will suffer. So, we cannot let that happen because the people will be the most affected," he added. —VBL, GMA Integrated News