The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Sunday that a series of raids on seven warehouses or cold storage facilities yielded an estimated PHP120 million in suspected smuggled frozen poultry and seafood products.

In a statement, the BOC said that the composite team went to the Navotas City warehouses on Friday to implement the Letters of Authority (LOAs) signed by Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.

The group was led by Alvin Enciso, chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service—Manila International Container Port (CIIS—MICP). including Department of Agriculture (DA) Assistant Secretary James Layug, Navotas City Lone District Rep. Toby Tiangco, Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) personnel, and village officials.

The team inspected the warehouses after the representatives acknowledged the LOA and discovered poultry products such as frozen pork legs, chicken drumsticks, pork spareribs, squid rings, crayfish, pork ears, pork hinges, baloney, Brawley beef, pork aorta, chicken feet, pork riblets, golden pampano, pangasius fillet, boneless pork ham, fish tofu, and pork ears.

While China supplied the majority of the frozen seafood, there was also beef from Brazil and Australia, pork from the United States, and pork ears from Russia.

Authorities also discovered an empty warehouse designed to be a cold storage facility, and warehouses were padlocked and sealed, including the empty storage facility, and the keys were turned over to village officials present during the inspection.

The assigned customs examiner will conduct the inventory, which agents will witness from the CIIS and the Enforcement and Security Service.

The owners of the goods would be required to present importation documents or payment proofs.

Seizure and forfeiture proceedings will be conducted if proper documents are not provided for a violation of Section 1400 (misdeclaration in goods declaration) in relation to Section 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of Republic Act No. 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

Juvymax Uy, Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group, emphasized the importance of border security in reducing the economic impact of smuggled goods entering Philippine markets.

The operation was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture's Inspectorate and Enforcement Office, the National Meat Inspection Service, and the Philippine Coast Guard.