Smuggled seafood seized in Malabon

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources confiscated on Monday 476 boxes of seafood that the BFAR said were smuggled into the country.

BFAR inspectors and law enforcers seized boxes of galunggong, mackerel, squid, yellow tail salmon and moonfish from two dealers in Malabon City.

One fish dealer was unable to present importation documents such as sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance, delivery receipts and transport clearance for the seafood, the BFAR said.

This is a violation of the section of the Philippine Fisheries Code or the unlawful importation and exportation of fish or fishery species.

The second dealer, on the other hand, presented a delivery receipt that does not match the one issued by the alleged importing company, according to BFAR.

The agency has yet to identify the importers of the seafood seized from the dealers.