Customs apprehends P17 million worth of smuggled frozen food

The Bureau of Customs apprehended P17 million worth of smuggled frozen food products and agricultural products in separate operations in Manila, Caloocan City, and Cagayan de Oro.

In a statement on Tuesday, the BOC said its operatives conducted simultaneous buy-bust operations in cold storages in San Nicolas, Manila and Caloocan on October 15 where they discovered imported food products.

Since other regulated imported food products were found, the BOC said it sent a letter of authority to the owners of the facility.

During the inventory of the goods in San Nicolas, the BOC said its operatives found hundreds of boxes of frozen Peking duck, shabu-shabu balls, dimsum, mushroom, and Chinese sausages, among others.

Meanwhile, frozen pork, chicken, fish, beef, pork liver, and fish skin, among others. were discovered in Caloocan.

Two containers at the Port of Cagayan de Oro consigned to South Road Consumer Goods Trading said to contain "frozen malt" were also inspected and found to contain onions on October 15.

On October 18, two more containers consigned to Glimmer Cape Food Products Trading said to contain seasoning were inspected, resulting in the discovery of more onions.

The BOC said the goods will be subjected to seizure and forfeiture proceedings in violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/BM, GMA News