PASG seizes P150-M ‘hot’ poultry, seafood

The Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) raided yesterday a cold storage facility in Navotas City and seized some P150-million worth of poultry and seafood illegally imported from China.

“One of our main concern is the possible entry of the deadly avian flu virus in our country because of these smuggled products from China,” Edmund Arugay of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) told The STAR.

Arugay, the PASG’s operations head, said poultry products from China, especially Peking duck, are banned in the country for fear that the products carry the avian flu virus. Thousands of chickens and other domesticated birds have been culled to prevent the further spread of the disease in China.

The PASG’s composite team – composed of personnel from the NBI, police, Customs, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Animal Industry, and other attached agencies – raided the Common Cold Storage Facilities on M. Naval street at around 10 a.m.

PASG head Undersecretary Antonio Villar Jr. ordered the storage padlocked and directed his men to seek the help of veterinary authorities to check whether the smuggled products were contaminated with the bird flu virus.

“There will be no letup in the operation against illegal importers of exotic fowl meat. PASG is concerned about public health. Just one slip and everything may go haywire as far as the avian flu virus is concerned,” Villar said.

Superintendent Johnny Bacbac, who is detailed with the PASG, said that apart from smuggled meat and seafood products, the facility also yielded boxes of imported vegetables, which were also without proper documents.

Bacbac said the smuggled products were frozen Peking duck meat, Hong Kong geese meat, pork, chicken, Angus beef, shrimp, fish, giant squids, salmon heads, onions, broccoli and other imported vegetables placed inside at least 11 freezer vans and 15 chillers.

A certain William Lim owns the facility with one Danilo Ong as his administrator, Bacbac said.

Two weeks ago, PASG raided two warehouses in San Rafael Village, also in Navotas, which yielded millions of pesos worth of smuggled Peking duck and marine products illegally imported from China.

Villar blamed unscrupulous Customs officials with “vested interests” for the proliferation of smuggled poultry, meat and seafood products.

On the other hand, Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales expressed willingness to help the PASG in conducting a thorough investigation of the two storage facilities in Navotas where the smuggled products were allegedly stored.

Morales said he has instructed the Port of Manila to issue a warrant of seizure and detention on the two warehouses.

“After we conduct an inventory of the goods, we will issue a subpoena… for the owners to present their import documents and proof that the goods were bought locally,” he said.

Morales said he also ordered a tightened watch on regulated shipments, especially agricultural products, to ensure that shipments without import entries are not released from Customs custody and would not enter the local market.   – With Evelyn Macairan