MANILA: The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized fresh (red) Indian onions worth millions of pesos in an operation in Manila. The red onions totaled around P15 million worth of imported fresh red Indian onions.
Reportedly, the goods were contained in eleven 40-footer container-vans lodged for processing at the Manila International Container Port (MICP). In a statement from the BOC, eight out of the 11 vans were consigned to Mheriban Sales Corp. The other three CVs were for Malaya Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MMPC). Neither of them had valid import permits from the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI).
“Our CIIS agents inquired at the Department of Agriculture (DA) to ask about its policy covering agricultural importation of onion products and it appears that the importers have no corresponding import permits at the moment,” Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said in the statement.