The Bureau of Customs (BoC) impounded 21 containers of smuggled frozen mackerel from China at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) amid an intensified crackdown on the entry of illegally imported agricultural products.

The seized contrabands were presented to the members of the media on Wednesday by officials of the BoC and Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel Jr.

On October 16, 2024, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) of the Manila International Container Port recommended issuing a Pre-Lodgement Control Order for the 21 containers of frozen mackerel originating from China.

The recommendation followed the receipt of derogatory information regarding the shipments.

The CIIS estimated the value of each container of frozen mackerel to be P8.5 million, totaling P178.5 million.

The BOC issued a request for the issuance of a Pre-Lodgement Control Order due to concerns that the shipment contained misclassified, misdeclared, and undeclared goods.

"Our mission to protect the country's agricultural sector is just as important, just as critical as our mission to stop illegal drugs and many others from entering our borders. Keeping smuggled agricultural products off our local markets ensures fair competition in the domestic market. It also keeps the costs of goods down," the BoC statement read.

In a letter dated October 25, 2024, Deputy Commissioner for the Intelligence Group, Juvymax Uy, addressed the MICP District Collector, Rizalino Torralba, and reiterated the CIIS' recommendation to issue a WSD for the shipments.

"This request was based on information indicating that the shipments were not covered by any SPS Import Clearance (SPSIC) from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)," Deputy Commissioner Uy noted in the letter.

According to CIIS Director Verne Enciso, the 21 containers of frozen mackerel arrived at the MICP in late September 2024 and remained unclaimed by the consignee. Around the same time, the CIIS contacted the BFAR to inquire about the current requirements for mackerel importation and whether the consignee had been issued an SPSIC.

Divine Ramos of the BFAR's Fisheries Certification Section confirmed that the importer, "Pacific Sealand Foods Corporation," has no application for mackerel from August 30 to September 16, 2024."

Further applications had also been "rejected" following a memorandum from the Department of Agriculture (DA) suspending the issuance of SPSICs for the importation of round scad, mackerel, and bonito.

"Currently, we are in the process of gathering information on the consignee of these shipments and filing appropriate cases. We also want to emphasize the importance of proper coordination among various government agencies that contributed to the seizure of these goods," Director Enciso stated.