The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) will press charges against two importers who misdeclared 12 reefers of “red onions” worth PHP42 million as frozen chapati (flat Indian bread).
The DA on Wednesday shared a copy of the memorandum of Secretary William Dar dated July 13, stating importers Thousand Sunny Enterprise and Dua Te Mira Non Specialized Wholesale are allegedly involved in large-scale agricultural smuggling.
Retired police general Federico Laciste Jr., DA Assistant Secretary for Wide Field Inspectorate and Alternate Chair of the Special Task Group on Economic Intelligence (STG-EI) who signed the memorandum said that a joint investigation between the BOC and STG El will be conducted to establish personalities involved in the facilitation of this technical smuggling.
Cases of violation of Republic Act 10845 otherwise known as Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 will be filed by the Bureau of Customs against the importers.
Custody and disposal of the seized items are all under BOC disposition.
Source: Philippines News Agency
