The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has intercepted six forty-foot equivalent units of containers carrying misdeclared onions worth an estimated P12 million at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
BOC X-ray Inspection Project (XIP) chief Atty. Zsae Carrie de Guzman said the containers from China were declared to contain fresh apples and arrived at the port on August 14. The shipment was consigned to ASD Total Packages Enterprises Inc., BOC said in a statement.
Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said that XIP, after receiving a tip against the shipment, recommended that an alert order be issued by the Office of the District Collector-MICP.
Upon inspection, the containers were found to be loaded with two layers of cartons of apples at the front but filled with bags of onions inside.
ASD Total Packages’ owner and customs broker, Michael Miranda Sumile, who processed the shipment, will face criminal raps for violating Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification, Undervaluation in Goods Declaration) in relation to Section 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
They will also face charges for violating Republic Act No. 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
MICP district collector Atty. Balmyrson Valdez will issue the corresponding warrant of seizure and detention against the shipment.
“I have already ordered for the revocation of the accreditation of the consignee and the customs broker involved. Again, I am warning all unscrupulous traders, stop your smuggling attempts. I will definitely catch up with you,” Lapeña said.
BOC has already apprehended and filed cases against several importers and customs brokers for illegally importing onions into the country by misdeclaring them as apples. Apples have 0% tariff while onions are imposed with 35% tariff.
