The Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced the seizure of PHP63 million in contraband frozen goods found in shipments that arrived from Hong Kong and China at the Manila International Container Port on Monday (MICP).
Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz stated in a statement that the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS)-MICP got information regarding two containers from Hong Kong and two containers from China reported to contain thousands of kilos of frozen prawn balls.
Each container was said to contain misdeclared goods worth PHP15.75 million.
“But in reality, these four containers contained other frozen foods that the consignees did not declare in their manifest. I have personally expressed my confidence to the team, and thanked them for their relentless pursuit of these smugglers. We are simply complying with the directive of our President to continue our drive against the smuggling of agricultural products and protecting our markets and the prices of our products,” said Commissioner Ruiz.
Customs Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy stated that the agency issued two Alert Orders (AOs) against Victory JM Enterprise OPC, the importer of two containers from Hong Kong, each of which were reported to contain 25,000 kilos of frozen prawn balls and arrived on Nov. 17.
The first container, however, included frozen tofu, chicken feet, and boneless beef, while the second contained frozen tofu, Vietnamese suckling pig, and beancurd skin.
Meanwhile, two further AOs were issued on two shipments arriving from China on November 18. The canisters were likewise labeled with frozen prawn balls but contained frozen fish tofu and frozen beef cheek flesh instead.
