The ₱200-M mackerel smuggling case is now under investigation as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) vowed to hold those responsible accountable.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. promised to go after the individuals behind the smuggled frozen mackerel shipment, which is estimated to be worth ₱202 million.
Authorities discovered the contraband inside two container vans at South Harbor, Port of Manila, following an inspection by the DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and other agencies.
The shipment was initially declared as plant-based commodities such as taro sticks, sweet potato balls, and other assorted items.
Tiu Laurel Jr. stated that the DA, BOC, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will work together to track down the smugglers and bring them to court.
The secretary also emphasized that smuggling agricultural products worth more than ₱200 million falls under the Anti-Economic Sabotage Act.
“More than two hundred million (P200,000,000) at ten million (P10,000,000) lang ang na value, ay non bailable na ‘yon. Talagang hahabulin natin, ng Bureau of Customs at ng Food and Drugs Administration itong mga proprietors na’to will bring them the justice,” (More than two hundred million (P200,000,000) and just ten million (P10,000,000) in value is already non-bailable. We will definitely pursue this, with the Bureau of Customs and the Food and Drug Administration, and bring these proprietors to justice) said Tiu Laurel Jr.
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio revealed that the shipments were consigned to Straradava Household Products Co. Ltd and Fendee Consumer Goods Trading.
He added that misdeclaration is already a violation of the law, and those involved could face multiple charges for smuggling products worth millions of pesos.
“Na diskubre po natin mayroong nag attempt (na) paparating, (na) nineteen (19) forty-foot containers of frozen Mackerel but were mis declared as frozen white taro,” (“We discovered an attempt to smuggle nineteen (19) forty-foot containers of frozen mackerel, which were misdeclared as frozen white taro,”) said Rubio.
The products were initially declared as coming from China, based on the documents submitted.
Rubio confirmed that the BOC is conducting an ongoing investigation into how the smuggling operation was carried out through the country’s ports.
“As per declaration and as per, makikita naman natin sa findings. Galing po ito sa China, ang value estimated natin is more or less around two hundred million,” (Based on the declaration and our findings, we can see that these came from China, with an estimated value of around two hundred million (P200,000,000), Rubio confirmed.