P44-million smuggled onions seized in Valenzuela

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized some P44.4 million worth of smuggled onions in a warehouse in Valenzuela City on Tuesday.

In a statement, the BOC said the smuggled cargoes were consigned to Royal Halo Enterprises, which has an office in Binondo, Manila.

The smuggled onions were misdeclared as plastic cups and plastic wares loaded in 10 40-footer shipping containers from China.

Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim said the goods slipped past the premises of the Manila International Container Port by paying only P70,000 to P140,000 per shipping container, resulting in P18 million revenue loss for the government.

“It is very evident that there is serious malice to defraud the government of taxes and insult the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines arrogantly in this incident, thus, all culprits in this case have to be brought to justice,” Lim said.

At least 90 percent of the smuggled onions were already unloaded from the shipping containers when the raiding team arrived, said Jimmy Guban, assistant chief of the Risk Management Office and leader of the raiding team.

He identified Jason Ferrer as the licensed customs broker who facilitated the illegal release of the P44.4-million smuggled onions from BOC.

Lim said the BOC would be filing the corresponding charges against the consignee, broker, and BOC employees involved in the onion smuggling.