MANILA: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) yesterday seized P37m worth of garlic allegedly smuggled from China.
BOC Commissioner John Sevilla said the 125,000 kilogrammes of illegally imported garlic were placed in five 40-footer shipping containers that arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on June 12, Independence Day.
The BOC confiscated the shipment after learning that it was not supported by a Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Import Clearance Permit from the Department of Agriculture.
This is in violation of Presidential Decree No 1433, which is Promulgating the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978, Sevilla said.
The BOC’s Enforcement Security Service seized the shipment and issued an alert order.
The tons of smuggled garlic were allegedly sent by Jining Shuntianli Import & Export Co Ltd that is based in Shandong, China.
The shipment was consigned to Mc Jayson International Trading, the BOC said.
But Mc Jayson’s managing director Lito Caraecle sent a letter to the BOC denying ownership of the smuggled garlic.
The BOC will soon begin forfeiture proceedings against the shipment.
The Philippine star
