NAGSAGAWA ng serye ng raid ang Bureau of Customs (BOC) sa pitong warehouse sa Navotas at nakumpiska ang tinatayang P120 milyong halaga ng smuggled na poultry at seafood products.

Isinagawa ang raid sa bisa ng Letters of Authority (LOA) na pirmado ni Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.

Customs Intelligence, and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) chief Alvin Enciso ang nanguna sa BOC team sa pagsisilbi ng LOA sa mga warehouse.

Pinuri ni Rubio ang matagumpay na raid ng pinagsanib na puwersa ng BOC, CIIS-MICP, Department of Agriculture-Inspectorate and Enforcement Office (DA-IE), National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), at Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

“This is outstanding work by our law enforcement officers and our bureau personnel. I understand how much effort and commitment it takes to inspect all of these warehouses in just one day. It also goes to show how important proper coordination is among government agencies because these operations won’t be possible without it,” sabi ni Rubio.

Sumama rin sa raid sina DA Assistant Secretary James Layug, Navotas City Lone District Representative Toby Tiangco, at mga tauhan ng Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).

Binigyan-diin naman ni Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy ang kahalagahan ng border protection upang mapigilan ang smuggling na lubhang makaaapekto sa ekonomiya ng bansa.

“Our officers have once more shown their diligence to target, detect, and intercept potential threats to our people’s economic activities. This is just one of the ways how the bureau protects the public—by keeping these products away from consumers and thus safeguarding the livelihoods of those who go through the proper legal process of bringing in imported goods,” ani Uy.

Narekober sa isinagawang inspeksyon ang frozen poultry product gaya ng pork legs, chicken drumstick, pork sparerib, squid ring, crayfish, tenga ng baboy, pork hinges, abalone, brawley beef, pork aorta, chicken feet, pork riblets, golden pampano, pangasius fillet, boneless pork ham, at fish tofu.

Bukod sa China, nanggaling umano ang mga nakita sa warehouse mula sa Brazil, Australia, Estados Unidos, at Russia.

Mayroon ding nakitang bakanteng warehouse ang mga tauhan ng BOC na gagamitin umano bilang cold storage facility.

Bago tuluyang kumpiskahin, bibigyan ng pagkakataon ang may-ari na patunayan na legal ang pagpasok ng mga ito sa bansa.

Kung walang maipapakitang dokumento, kasong paglabag sa Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) ang kakaharapin nito.