P20M-worth of meat from Brazil seized

Smuggled frozen meat from Brazil worth an estimated P20 million was seized by Bureau of Customs (BOC) agents at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) yesterday.

The meat cargo, consisting of frozen whole chicken and pork sides contained in eight 40-footer vans, arrived last Oct. 5 aboard the vessels Pegasus and Uranus.

The special Project Team under the Office of the Commissioner (OCOM) headed by Collector Jaime Maglipon seized the shipment on the strength of an alert order issued by BOC chief Renato Ampil.

"The shipment was grossly undervalued," Ampil said. It had a declared value of P704,143 ($138,828) against BOC estimates of P20 million.

Maglipon identified the consignee-importer as Schutze International Trading and Consulting Inc. with no given address. The official added that four of the containers slipped through the Customs zone last Monday through fraudulent means and are now being hunted.

Latest reports said one of the container vans, presumably already empty, has been found by pursuing agents along Faraday Street in Makati.

Maglipon said the three others are being traced at the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) complex in Taguig, Metro Manila.

"We received reports that there are only four meat exporters accredited by the Department of Agriculture. This one from Brazil is not among them," Ampil told reporters.

Reynaldo Quilang of the MICP Veterinary Services said the shipments did not have the required Veterinary Quarantine Clearances (VQCs) and that stamps and signatures were found to be fake.

Ampil said that an auction for the meat will be made within 30 days after the National Meat Inspection Commission (NMIC) shall have determined if it is fit for human consumption.

Ampil also vowed to go after those who participated in this attempt to defraud the government.

"We will run after the importer and the broker, including BOC personnel involved in this caper," Ampil said.

The broker was identified as Jeddstar Freight with offices at Room 316 Peterson Building, 352 Pinpin st., Escolta, Manila.