Last week, the Port of Cebu Bureau of Customs uncovered undeclared goods in four abandoned container vans. In a report from Monday, October 21, Cebu Customs disclosed that the shipment, which was consigned to RAS Bacolod Inc., has been declared to contain oranges but also included undeclared agricultural produce like onions.
The four containers were classified as abandoned since its claimant/consignee did not file the required import entry declaration despite due notice.
Under Section 1129 (b) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), an imported article is deemed abandoned when the owner, importer or consignee fails to file the goods declaration within the prescribed period under Section 407 of the CMTA.
However, when Customs personnel and representatives from the Plant Quarantine Service and the Coast Guard inspected the four abandoned containers, they found that the shipment included undeclared goods such as white onions and carrots. According to Cebu Customs, the white onions and carrots were hidden under several layers of oranges to conceal the undeclared goods.
