THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) filed criminal complaints against the owner, representatives of an importer, a customs broker and several of its own personnel over agricultural shipments misdeclared as chicken products that arrived last June 2025.
The BOC said through a statement it filed six criminal complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) last Tuesday involving shipments consigned to Berches Consumer Goods Trading.
The BOC said physical examinations of the shipments found 15,029 sacks of fresh white onions and 2,164 boxes of fresh carrots, despite the shipments being declared as ‘chicken lollipops.’
The agricultural products were also not covered by the required Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry.
According to the BOC, the shipments allegedly violated Section 1401, in relation to Sections 1400 and 117, of Republic Act (RA) 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), for fraudulent misdeclaration and importation of regulated agricultural products without the necessary clearances.
Complaints against Customs personnel also stem from Section 1431 of the CMTA, which penalizes willful neglect of duties, enabling another person to defraud the government of customs revenue and negligently or deliberately allowing another person to violate the law.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service separately endorsed administrative charges against the concerned BOC officials and personnel to the agency’s Prosecution and Litigation Division for hearings under the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.
‘These enforcement actions are intended not only to hold violators accountable but also to send a clear message that attempts to circumvent customs laws and regulations will be met with decisive action,’ the BOC said.
‘The BOC continues to strengthen its enforcement presence to create a strong deterrent against smuggling and other illicit activities while ensuring that legitimate businesses and compliant stakeholders are protected,’ it added.
Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the BOC would not only come after smugglers and their accomplices but also against its own personnel found to have participated, facilitated or benefited from illegal activities.
The filing of the six complaints brings the BOC’s total number of criminal cases filed to 96, involving 288 respondents.
From 2025 to 2026, the BOC has, likewise, seized P13.7-billion worth of goods, as it steps up enforcement against illicit and misdeclared goods.