QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Sunday reported that it confiscated some P85 million worth of smuggled poultry products from China in a warehouse located in Parañaque City.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) conducted the operation on September 5, following a Letter of Authority issued by BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio. Authorities discovered a variety of poultry items suspected of evading customs duties and taxes.
Among the seized products were frozen duck and chicken meat, frozen pork, and various frozen food items marked with Chinese labels, along with assorted beverages labeled in foreign languages.
“The audacity of these individuals to smuggle and hide agricultural products right in the heart of Metro Manila is beyond me,” Rubio said.
“They belittle our laws and mock our hardworking Customs agents by thinking they can conduct illegal activities just a few kilometers from our port,” he added.
He emphasized that operations like this demonstrate the seriousness of the BOC’s work and the commitment of its officers to hold responsible parties accountable.
The BOC has temporarily sealed the warehouse to secure the confiscated goods. Warehouse owners have 15 days to present documentation to counter the allegations of hoarding imported agricultural products.
Failure to provide the necessary documents will result in the initiation of seizure and forfeiture proceedings against the shipments for violating Section 1400 (misdeclaration in goods declaration) and Section 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of Republic Act No. 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. (GLG/PIA-NCR)
