The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized six containers of food products and used clothing estimated to be worth around P11.34 million for alleged misdeclaration.
The seized containers, five of which contained various misdeclared food products and one had used clothing, arrived in the Philippines on separate occasions at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) from Hong Kong, South Korea, and Brazil.
The seized food items were consigned to JL Twins Enterprises and Great Prosperity Import and Export Enterprises, while the shipment of used clothing was consigned to FiveJhoch Enterprises.
The food products will undergo forfeiture proceedings due to lack of permits from the Food and Drug Administration and for violation of Republic Act (RA) No. 3720 or the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
The used clothing, on the other hand, will be disposed of as it may pose health hazards. Commercial importation of textiles commonly known as used clothing and rags or ukay-ukay is prohibited under RA No. 4653, or An Act to Safeguard the Health of the People and Maintain the Dignity of the Nation by Declaring It a National Policy to Prohibit the Commercial Importation of Textile Articles Commonly Known as Used Clothing and Rags.
The captured shipments also violated relevant sections of RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, particularly sections 1400 (misdeclaration, misclassification, undervaluation in goods declaration) and 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture).