Subic Bay Freeport – The Bureau of Customs Port of Subic (BOC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) confiscated around PHP136.58 million worth of smuggled agricultural products and cigarettes on Wednesday September 11 at Subic Port in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
The shipment was consigned to the Betron Consumer Goods Trading and arrived here on August 15, 2024 from China.
During the presentation to the media on Wednesday at the New Container Terminal (NCT), Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel and BOC Port of Subic Atty. Ricardo Uy Morales II opened seven 40-footer container vans.
The two officials presented the first five containers of 86 metric tons of fresh white onions and 58 metric tons of fresh carrots misdeclared as frozen fish egg balls from China; as well as two containers of smuggled cigarettes misdeclared as tissue from Taiwan.
Each of the three shipping containers of white onions is valued at over PHP4.3 million while the two containers of carrots amounted to over PHP4 million each, with a total amount worth at more than PHP21.08 million for all five containers.
The two other 40-footer container vans, consigned to the Subic All N1 Corp., was declared to contain 2,153 packages of tissues. The container vans arrived in Subic Freeport on August 13, 2024, with Taiwan as the country of origin.
Collector Morales said that the two container vans actually contained 167 packages of tissues, 993 master cases of Bros Premium Class A cigarettes, and 993 master cases of Commando Filter, Kings Finest, and Virginia Blend cigarettes.
Morales said that the total fair market value for the smuggled items were priced at P136,592,591.67, adding that the violations committed by the aforementioned consignee include: no valid Certificated of Registration and Tax Exemption from the SBMA; and expired registration/ accreditation from the BOC since March 20, 2020.