Pagpasok ng P8.422-M puslit na agricultural products, nahadlangan ng BOC-CIIS

MANILA, Philippines — Nahadlangan ng Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) ng Bureau of Customs (BOC) ang pagpasok sa bansa ng may P8.422 ­milyong halaga ng smuggled agricultural products sa Manila International Container Port (MICP).

Ang shipment, na binubuo ng may 3,200 karton ng mga fresh oranges, na mula sa Thailand, ay walang required import sanitary clearance mula sa Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).

Ayon kay CIIS Director Verne Enciso, ang natanggap na “derogatory information” ng CIIS mula BPI ay nagresulta sa pagkasabat at pagkasamsam nila sa mga shipment.

“This interception highlights the coordination and collaboration among and between key government agencies, and even the various units within the BOC. The information we received was immediately verified by our officers and with the help of agriculture experts, we were able to pin down the cargo,” aniya.

Naging posible anila ang operasyon laban sa mga naturang agri pro­ducts dahil sa mabilis na pagbibigay sa kanila ng impormasyon ng BPI na ang shipment ay walang mandatory Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC).

Ani CIIS-MICP chief Alvin Enciso, kaagad na ipinatupad ng kanyang grupo ang kautusan dahil ang mga unsanitary imported agricultural products ay maaaring magdulot mg panganib sa kalusugan ng mga local consumers.

“Smuggling does not only pose a threat to the country’s security but more so, it puts our consumers at risk and even impacts the local economy. In the BOC, we are not only committed to protect and secure our borders, but we are also dedicated to ensure that our markets remain free from harmful imported products that can create an avalanche of health and environmental problems,” aniya pa.