Almost P8M worth of kush seized in Pasay mail hub — BOC
BOC said the illegal narcotic, a high-grade variant of marijuana, was found to be concealed within ten parcels, which were flagged for irregularities during x-ray screening and inspected by members of the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.
The kush has been turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for further case build up.
'We understand the dangers illegal drugs bring to our families and neighborhoods,' Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said in a statement.
'That's why we're stepping up inspections, working closely with other agencies, and using every tool we have to stop these substances before they reach our communities,' he added.
Authorities are now tracking down the intended recipients.
According to Customs, those involved could face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
It added the CMEC has long been a key entry point for drug shipments hidden in parcels.
'Our officers remain alert 24/7. This interception is proof of what a united front against smuggling can accomplish,' District Collector Yasmin Mapa said. —Joahna Lei Casilao/RF, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
BOC, DOH, DA unveil P34M worth of smuggled onions, frozen fish in Manila
The Bureau of Customs (BOC), along with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Agriculture (DA), unveiled several containers of misdeclared agricultural products at the Port of Manila on Tuesday. In the unveiling, authorities from BOC, DOH, and DA revealed that 6 container vans from China that were initially declared as 'mantou, egg noodles, and kimchi' turned out to be smuggled agricultural products worth at least P34 million. The imports reportedly arrived in the country on May 27 and June 1 and was flagged on June 10 to contain P10.2 million worth of red onions, P3.8 million worth of white onions, and P20.08 million worth of frozen mackerel. The smuggled imports added up to an estimated value of P34,203,504.38. 'As you see now, there are three agencies here working together because yung programa po ng gobyerno ngayon pagdating sa agricultural smuggling is a whole of government approach. Meaning, di po to responsibilidad lamang ng Department of Agriculture, tulong tulong po ang buong gobyerno dito,' said BOC Assistant Commissioner and Spokesperson Vincent Maronilla. (As you see now, there are three agencies here working together because the government's program when it comes to agricultural smuggling is a whole of government approach. This means that it's not just the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, and that the entire government will work together on this.) Any individual found to be involved in the said importation may face charges for violation of the amended Agricultural Smuggling Act and the Customs and Tariff Act for Illegal Importation. DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director General Attorney Paolo Teston noted that unapproved agricultural produce may not be safe for human consumption. 'Pwede merong may mga lead, may poisonous products, heavy metals, mikrobyo [ang mga produkto na ito]… They did not go through the regulation of Food and Drug Administration. Yung FDA, yun ang trabaho para maging safe lahat ng pagkaing binebenta sa ating mga tindahan para sa mamamayan natin,' said Herbosa. ([These products] may contain lead, poisonous products, heavy metals, or microbes… They did not go through the regulation of Food and Drug Administration. That is the FDA's job to ensure that all the food being sold in markets to the public is safe.) He also pointed out that even the labelled products were considered contraband, as it did not follow the FDA regulations for English labels. Should the smuggled produce be declared safe for human consumption following further testing, the items may be turned over to the DA for distribution to the public. 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'[Sa] China lahat [galing ang shipments], kaya magri-risk assessment tayo ng galing sa China [na containers]. Kung kailangan buksan lahat ng container galing China, gagawin natin yun para siguradong wala nang makalusot,' he said. (All [the shipments came from] China, so we will conduct a risk assessment on [containers from] China. If we need to open all containers from China, we will do so to ensure none of them will sneak past us.) Earlier, the DA reported that smuggled onions collected and tested from Paco Public Market last week have tested positive for E. coli. Laurel said the items had been confiscated in coordination with the LGU. A separate shipment of 25 metric tons of red onions were also found at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in Misamis Oriental. It will undergo further testing for contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticide residue, and other harmful bacteria. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
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GMA Network
7 days ago
- GMA Network
Smuggled onions in Paco market tested positive for E.coli —DA
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