The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized onions at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), supposedly smuggled from China and valued at more than P4.2 million.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) intercepted three container vans loaded with the illicit shipment, the BOC said in a statement on Thursday.
The CIIS agents received a report saying that the consignee deliberately covered the onions that were underneath fresh garlic.
The onions were consigned to Equicent Import and Export Corporation with business address at U253, 2F Velco Centre Building, R.S. Oca corner Delgado St., Port Area, Manila.
Only 80 bags of garlic out of the 2,800 bags were found in the shipment, CIIS-MICP Intelligence Officer Teodoro Sagaral said.
“The import permit presented covers the fresh garlic only but it doesn’t account for the onions beneath the declared garlic,” Sagaral said.
