MANILA: The authorities intercepted 85 million pesos (RM6.8m) worth of agricultural products, believed to be smuggled from China, at a container port here.
Frozen chicken products, declared as hotpot balls and steamed buns, were seized by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), Philstar.com reported.
The BoC Deputy Commissioner for intelligence, Raniel Ramiro, said duty personnel stopped the entry of five shipments of the frozen products consigned to a company here.
The shipments were declared as hotpot balls and steamed buns "but the shipping containers actually contained frozen chicken products," he said.
Ramiro said a broker with the department and the consignee would face smuggling charges over the five mis-declared shipments, which arrived at the MICP on June 15.
The BoC had since impounded the imported products after examining the five 40-foot shipping containers as charges of violation of the Customs Modernisation and Tariff Act are being readied against those responsible for the foiled smuggling.
BoC Intelligence and Investigation Service director, Jeoffrey Tacio, said a request for the issuance of an alert order or physical examination was issued to the MICP after receiving information about the smuggled goods.
The BoC previously reported similar seizure of shipments from the same consignee.
MICP district collector, Romeo Allan Rosales, assured they would immediately issue a warrant of seizure and detention on the shipments once they received information of such smuggling activities.
Ramiro lauded intelligence agents from the BoC in stopping the smuggling of poultry products into the country.