BOC seizes P3.7-M oranges, apples

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs seized P3.7 million worth of apples and oranges from South Africa after five importers failed to produce permits from the Bureau of Plant Industry, the BOC said yesterday.

In a statement, the BOC identified the consignees as EBD Fruits Commercial, Gwearjam Imports, GWSI Fruits Commercial, Bounty Source Trading, and Tresmarios Enterprises. 

The BOC said that nine 40-footer ship containers held oranges while one container was filled with apples. They were reportedly illegally imported from Cape Town, South Africa.

The fruits, which weighed 288 metric tons, arrived  at the Manila International Container Port in five separate batches from June 30 until July 21.

The government raised precautions against the movement of all cargo from Africa as part of precautionary measures against an outbreak of the Ebola virus. – Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santosee