Trader gets 4 years for carrot smuggling

MANILA, Philippines — A businesswoman was sentenced to at least three years in prison for smuggling P2 million worth of carrots into the country, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said yesterday.

The Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 24 meted Divina Bisco Aguilar, the proprietor of Real Mart, a prison term of three years and one day to four years on Sept. 8 for violating Section 1401 in relation to Sections 102 and 1400 of Republic Act 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the BOC said in a statement.

Court records show Aguilar misdeclared a shipment of carrots smuggled from Singapore as 2,500 cartons of frozen pastry buns. The shipment arrived at the Port of Manila on June 26, 2020.

According to the BOC, the shipment of carrots had a total appraised value of P2,051,988.18, a dutiable value of P1,709,342.18 and customs duties, taxes and fees totaling P342,646.

The BOC said it ordered a physical examination of the shipment upon receiving a derogatory report. It issued a warrant of seizure and detention against the shipment.

The bureau filed a criminal complaint against Aguilar with the Department of Justice on Sept. 10, 2020.