• The Bureau of Customs filed criminal complaints against four traders and a customs broker for alleged smuggling of agricultural products worth over P25.8 million
• For this year to date, 46 individuals and customs brokers are already facing 18 criminal cases; three brokers are confronting administrative cases
The Bureau of Customs has filed criminal complaints against four traders for allegedly smuggling agricultural products worth more than P25.8 million.
The first case filed before the Department of Justice on March 4 is against GJ&M Global Resources and PFL Export Trading, which were charged with illegal exportation of more than P4 million worth of dried sea cucumber of assorted sizes on October 18, 2021 at the Port of Cebu.
The two companies allegedly had no valid export commodity clearance from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The second case was filed against GQA Prime Commodities Corp. and its customs broker for alleged misdeclaration and unlawful importation of various vegetables and fruits valued at more than P2.3 million on November 24, 2021 at the Port of Cebu.
The last case was laid against Zeechai Root Crops Trading for five counts of violating Customs and allied laws for allegedly misdeclaring and unlawfully importing eight 40-foot containers of assorted vegetables, fruits, frozen meat, and fish products worth P19.3 million on January 22 and 28 at the Port of Subic.
The traders and customs broker face violations of various provisions of Republic Act No. 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, RA 10845 (Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016) and other rules and regulations issued by regulating agencies.
For this year to date, BOC has already filed 18 criminal cases involving 46 individuals and customs brokers before the DOJ, and administrative cases against three customs brokers before the Professional Regulation Commission.
