The Bureau of Customs (BOC) - Port of Zamboanga (POZ) confiscated smuggled onions worth P18.6 million in Zamboanga last week.
According to the statement issued by the BOC, the POZ intercepted 5,61 mesh bags of imported red onions with an estimated value of P8.5 million and 2,249 mesh bags of imported white onions which cost P10.1 million during a maritime operation.
The smuggled onions are loaded in a vessel marked as "MV Princess Nurdisza," which is speculated came from Taganak, Tawi-Tawi going to Brgy. Baliwasan.
In violation of Section 1401 of Republic Act (R.A.) 10863, also known as the "Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016," the crew failed to present a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance from the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Bureau of Plant Industry for the items. "Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016," also known as H.R. 10845.
The Department of Agriculture's Research Center in Barangay Talisayan, Zamboanga City, received the onions for storage there.
After the operations on January 22 and 23, district collector Segundo Sigmund Freud Z. Barte, Jr. revealed that this apprehension is the third successful seizure of imported onions this week.
In accordance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to stop agricultural smuggling in the county, Commissioner Yogi Filemon L. Ruiz has ordered Commissioner Barte to launch an aggressive campaign to enforce stricter border control measures through ongoing maritime patrol operations in Western Mindanao.
