On Wednesday, April 12, 2023, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) conducted a series of inspections on six warehouses across Metro Manila, which led to the discovery of P150 million worth of agricultural products, including frozen meat and fresh fruits.
The operations were led by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP), Enforcement and Security Service-MICP (ESS-MICP), and ESS-Quick Reaction Team (ESS-QRT), after the issuance of Letters of Authority (LOAs) by Customs Commissioner Bien Rubio.
“Right now, our team is a well-oiled machine running after these smuggling groups. The operations yesterday showed how our officers work day and night to make sure these products will not make it to our local markets,” said Commissioner Rubio.
Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy expressed gratitude to Commissioner Rubio for his swift issuance of the LOAs, which allowed them to act immediately on the derogatory information they received.
The six warehouses subjected to the inspections were located in Caloocan, Manila, and Navotas, with the Navotas warehouse found to be empty but being constructed purposely as a cold storage facility.
The inventory of the goods will be conducted by the assigned customs examiner and witnessed by agents from the CIIS and ESS-QRT. The owners of the goods will be required to present importation documents or proof of payment. If proper documents are not presented, seizure and forfeiture proceedings will be conducted against the shipments for violation of Sec. 1400 (misdeclaration in goods declaration) in relation to Sec. 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of Republic Act No. 10863, known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
Commissioner Rubio and Deputy Commissioner Uy plan to personally visit the facilities where the suspected smuggled products were found.
“The BOC is sending a clear message to these groups that we will never tire in our efforts to prevent these products from entering our local markets. We commend our officers for their commitment to our mandate,” said Deputy Commissioner Uy.
The BOC composite team has temporarily padlocked and sealed the warehouses, including the empty storage facility.#
