MANILA: Over 300 tons of smuggled vegetables have been seized during a joint raid operation of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in an illegal warehouse in Navotas.
In a news release on Friday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said smuggled vegetables were discovered in two separate cold storage facilities on Thursday night.
He said initial reports from the raiding team revealed that one of the two cold storage facilities contained 132.75 tons of white onions, valued at PHP21.2 million, while another storage yielded 89.89 tons of imported carrots worth approximately PHP13.48 million.
The raid also uncovered 360 kilos of tomatoes, 10 kilos of enoki mushrooms, and a 40-footer container van loaded with 92.25 tons of imported white onions.
Laurel underscored the importance of strictly enforcing the law against smuggling and unfair trade practices.
“We cannot allow illegal trade practices such as this to continue hurting the livelihood of our farmers. The order o
f President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is clear: Go after these smugglers without let up,’ he said.
He also highlighted the critical support provided by Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco and Congressman Toby Tiangco, noting their coordination with local police and barangay authorities.
He noted that the cooperation of the LGU was crucial in ensuring that local farmers are protected,
“The help extended by Navotas Mayor John Rey and Congressman Toby was crucial in ensuring that we do right by our farmers, whose livelihoods are hurt by unfair trade practices, especially smuggling. Aside from harming our farmers, smuggled agricultural goods also put at risk the health of the Filipino consumer,” Laurel said.
The DA chief ordered the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to immediately suspend all issuances of import permits for onions and carrots, citing the abundant local harvest of these vegetables.
Meanwhile, Laurel urged the public to report to the DA any smuggling activity of agricultural products to ensure the prote
ction of Filipino farmers and the general public.
Source: Philippines News Agency