The Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted P23.27 million worth of misdeclared frozen agricultural products and foodstuffs from China in its bid to combat smuggling and safeguard the public.
A statement issued by the BOC on Tuesday said it seized five containers stored with illegally imported peeled chicken breast, skinless chicken breast, frozen pigeon, Peking duck, frozen duck meat and other frozen food items.
The shipments have an estimated value of P17.030 million, with corresponding duties and taxes totaling P6.238 million, for a total value of P23.268 million.
These were initially declared as various food products, including Fu Hua Lao Jiang Brand Classic Squid Ball, Fish Tofu, Fish Roe Balls and Qianye Tofu, among others.
According to the BOC, the shipments were flagged through Customs intelligence, risk assessment and profiling.
Three pre-lodgment control orders and two alert orders were issued subsequently.
Warrants of Seizure and Detention were likewise issued against the shipments for violations of Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, in relation to Republic Act No. 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013.
Moreover, the shipments are also subject to investigation for possible violations of Republic Act No. 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, since the aggregate value of the goods exceeded the P10 million threshold for large-scale agricultural smuggling.
Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the BOC will strengthen its coordination with the Department of Agriculture in preventing the entry of smuggled agricultural products that threaten food safety, biosecurity and the livelihood of local farmers and producers.
‘Operations like this demonstrate that law enforcement becomes more effective when our agencies work together,’ Nepomuceno said. ‘We will not allow products that are deliberately misdeclared to evade regulations and the corresponding taxes to slip through.’
The BOC has carried out 523 seizure operations in the first four months of 2026, resulting in the interception of P9.534 billion worth of smuggled products.
The latest seizure adds up to the P271 million worth of seized agricultural products during the four-month period.