Indian onions are intercepted

R15 million worth of smuggled onions from India bound for Binondo in Manila and Candaba in Pampanga were discovered during the processing of shipping containers at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) Tuesday.

Agents of the Bureau of Customs said 11 containers filled with fresh-red Indian onions were intercepted when its importation was lodged for processing.

The shipment had no valid import permits from the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI), Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said.

Eight of the containers were consigned to Mheriban Sales Corporation (MSC) in Juan Luna Street, Binondo, and the remaining three to Malaya Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMPC) in Mapaniqui, Candaba.

Faeldon said the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) at MICP led by Officer-In-Charge Teodoro C. Sagaral advised the Customs Command Center to issue an alert order on the shipment after a check with BPI showed that the importer failed to validate its import permit.

“Our CIIS agents inquired at the Department of Agriculture (DA) to officially inquire on DA policy covering agricultural importation pertinent to onion products, and it appears that the importers have no corresponding import permits at the moment,” Faeldon said.

He said Customs coordinated with the BPI and DA as a matter of inter-agency policy as provided by the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.

The inter-agency on anti-agricultural smuggling is chaired by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr., with National Food Authority and Customs as members.

The onions were brought into the country from India through the ship, E.R. Felixstowe 032E.