OVER P7 million worth of carrots stored at the Port of Manila have been confiscated following a recent joint inspection by officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
Agents from the DA Inspectorate and Enforcement Office, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and the BOC found 12,909 boxes of carrots hidden behind cartons of egg noodles in four container shipments.
The shipments — traced to one consignee and which arrived on March 22 and 25 — were falsely declared as assorted food products, including egg noodles, flat noodles, siya wrappers, fish tofu, and wakame salad.
Inspectors also found that a significant portion of the carrots have visible mold, decay and damage, making them unfit for human consumption.
Authorities warned that bypassing proper inspection and quarantine procedures poses public health risks.
Aside from threats to public health, smuggled products could harm local farmers through unfair competition and market prices, the DA said.
“If these were released to the market, they would sell it more affordably, which means they would kill the livelihood of our local farmers,” said DA Assistant Secretary for Inspectorate, Enforcement and Legal Service Willie Ann Angsiy.
Bypassing import fees, taxes and regulatory restrictions gives smugglers unfair advantage over local farmers and legitimate traders, the DA said.
The shipments have been forfeited under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
The DA and BPI are also pursuing food safety and agricultural regulatory charges against the perpetrators. The alleged consignee will be blacklisted, all related business licenses and accreditations revoked.
Authorities are actively profiling individuals linked to the smuggling.
