Over P30 million smuggled agricultural products seized

MANILA, Philippines — At least 300 tons of smuggled agricultural products worth more than P30 million were confiscated by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) during a raid on a storage facility in Navotas.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco and Rep. Toby Tiangco inspected the vegetables yesterday.

Tiu Laurel said the smuggled farm products include 132.75 tons of white onions valued at P21.2 million, 89.89 tons of carrots worth P13.48 million as well as tomatoes and mushrooms.

The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) has yet to issue Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPSICs) for the onions and tomatoes, according to Tiu Laurel.

He said the raid was part of the government’s efforts to curb unfair trade practices that undermine the livelihoods of Filipino farmers as well as threaten domestic food safety and security.

A composite team from the DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement Office, BPI’s National Plant Quarantine Services Division, BOC and other law enforcement units raided a warehouse in Navotas on Thursday.

The raid yielded smuggled vegetables as well as pasta and pickled salad.

“We want to assure our farmers that we will protect their livelihood from smuggling and other unfair trade practices. Actions such as these are meant to ensure food safety and promote food security,” Tiu Laurel said.

He said smuggling not only deprives the government of crucial import duties, but also hampers the growth of local industries and their ability to create jobs, which is vital in alleviating poverty.

“The coordinated effort of the DA, BOC and the Navotas local government in this successful raid highlights how a whole-of-government approach is crucial in stamping out smuggling and other illegal trade activities,” Tiu Laurel said.

BPI director Glen Panganiban said the bureau has taken samples of the smuggled vegetables for food safety testing.

“These samples will be tested for the presence of harmful microorganisms and pesticide residues. These have no sanitary and phytosanitary permits, so we want to make sure these vegetables will pose no risk to the public,” Panganiban said.