Agriculture goods make up 75% of smuggling complaints

MANILA, Philippines — About 75 percent of the criminal complaints filed by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the first quarter was due to the smuggling of agricultural commodities.

In a statement, the BOC said it filed 65 criminal complaints with the Department of Justice from January to March.

Of the total, 49 were involved in the smuggling of agricultural products.

The remaining complaints involved fuel, food, cigarettes, general merchandise and used clothing.

Agricultural smuggling remains rampant in the country. This affects locally produced farm products since these cannot compete with illegally imported ones due to pricing.

The BOC said addressing agriculture smuggling would not only protect local farmers but also ensure food safety for all Filipinos.

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said that BOC’s efforts to combat smuggling have improved over the past months.

“We remain steadfast in safeguarding our country’s borders and protecting our local industries from the harmful effects of smuggling,” Rubio said.

He added that BOC continues to collaborate with other government agencies and international organizations to improve border security and combat transnational smuggling syndicates.

“We will remain vigilant in our efforts to combat smuggling and we will not hesitate to take legal action against those who seek to violate our laws,” Rubio said.

As the second largest revenue agency, the BOC is mandated to deliver financial resources to fund the government’s programs and projects.