BOC reviewing records of meat importer

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is checking the records of a consignee who imported several kilos of meat that reportedly tested positive for African swine fever (ASF), an official said yesterday.

Alvin Enciso, chief of the BOC-Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Service, said they are validating reports that the Dynamic M International Trading had previous meat importations before the suspected ASF-contaminated meat arrived on Dec. 11. 

“There is an ongoing backtracking operation to determine if the consignee Dynamic M made previous importations of meat products and where were these meat products delivered. At the moment we are still gathering the data,” Enciso said.

Records showed the consignee started importing in late November or on the first week of December. 

Enciso said that even before the shipment arrived on Dec. 11, they received information that the consigneee was bringing in Peking ducks from Guangzhou, China. 

Under the regulations, the BOC is only allowed to inspect 10 percent of the shipment.

The agency had to wait for the shipment to be brought to a warehouse in Cavite before it could inspect the full shipment.

It was in the warehouse where the bureau discovered the allegedly ASF-contaminated meat.  

The BOC is checking if Chinese nationals are involved in the operation of  the Dynamic M, which is owned by Filipinos.

“We were instructed by BOC deputy commissioner for intelligence service Raniel Ramiro to watch out for similar importations or food stuff from China,” Enciso said.

He said they would submit the result of their review to BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero in two to three days.