Bureau of Customs-Port of Cagayan de Oro commences the destruction of seized smuggled onions inside the facility of Terra Cycliq Corporation in Brgy. Mantibugao, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon last Nov. 26, 2021.

Present during the destruction were Atty. Elvira Cruz, District Collector of the Port, Elizabeth Delas Llagas, Deputy Collector for Operations, Atty. Roswald Joseph Pague, Deputy Collector for Administration, Atty. Noe Espenilla, Deputy Collector for Operations – MCT, SP/Capt. Abdila Maulana Jr., Commander, ESS CDO, and Oliver Valiente, Chief, CIIS CDO Field Station.

Officials of Sub-Task Group on Economic Intelligence also witnessed the destruction namely Serapio Garabiles Jr, Intelligence Officer, and Joel Mabborang, Planning Officer III of the Department of Agriculture.

The onions were buried in a 12-ft deep pit using a backhoe. Said goods were part of the seizures of the Port in its intensified anti-smuggling drive from August of this year from different consignees who smuggled agricultural products in the region which was estimated to be worth 200 million pesos.

The Department of Agriculture reiterated that the seized onions cannot be donated or auctioned since it lacks Sanitary Phytosanitary Import Clearance, hence considered a health risk and unsafe for consumption.

Cruz also assured that cases will be filed against the perpetrators through its legal arm, the Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) for violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.