The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated yesterday at the Manila International Container Port P12.96 million worth of alleged misdeclared frozen chicken breasts and fish balls believed smuggled from China.
Customs personnel found 5,300 cartons of fish balls and sacks of frozen chicken breasts inside two shipping containers, according to BOC Assistant Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla.
The BOC said the shipment’s consignee violated Section 117 (Regulated Importation and Exportation) in relation to Section 1113 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture, food and agrarian reform, joined the BOC in inspecting the smuggled goods.
Pangilinan asked if the frozen chicken breasts were safe for human consumption.
The confiscated goods will be sent to the Bureau of Animal Industry to test if the chicken products are contaminated with bird flu or E. coli bacteria.