P104 million smuggled onions, sugar, cigarettes found at MICP

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs reported yesterday it has discovered P104 million worth of alleged smuggled onions, sugar and cigarettes during a recent inspection conducted by the BOC’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) on eight shipments from China, Hong Kong and India.

In a statement, the BOC said the eight shipments – five from China, two from Hong Kong and one from India – were loaded with misdeclared and undeclared red and white onions, sugar and cigarettes worth P104,081,500.

Intelligence Officer 3 Alvin Enciso said the eight shipments arrived between Dec. 29, 2022 and Feb. 10, 2023. The CIIS-MICP examined them between Feb. 17 and 23 following the issuance of alert orders after Enciso received derogatory information on the smuggled goods

Unless the consignees present proper import permits for the produce and cigarettes, the BOC said it would seize and forfeit those shipments for violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.

The BOC said that the case records will be forwarded to its Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers for filing of the appropriate charges and criminal cases against those responsible for the illegal importation of the agricultural products.