MULA sa paglipat nito sa bagong pamunuan, nagsimula na ang Bureau of Customs (BOC) na magtrabaho kamakalawa, at nasamsam ang tinatayang aabot sa P18 milyong halaga ng mga smuggled na pula at puting sibuyas na naka-consign sa Primex Export and Import Producer, mula sa daungan ng Cagayan de Oro.

Ang shipments ay dumating sa CDO Port at sumailalim sa eksaminasyon ng Mindanao International Container Terminal Services Inc. (MICTSI) yard, na sinaksihan ng mga Customs district collector, sub-port collector, ahente ng Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. (CCBI), at MICTSI.

Ang shipments ay natuklasang naglalaman ng mga pula at puting sibuyas, taliwas sa deklarasyon nito na soft tortilla wrap sa kanilang Inward Foreign Manifest.

Ayon kay Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz, na ang top priority programs ay kinabibilangan ng pagsugpo sa smuggling, ang mabilis na implementasyon ng operasyon ay nakahadlang sa pagpasok ng mga puslit na agricultural goods sa bansa.

“We have a legacy to continue here, one that was started by the previous administration. We know that we have been a target of agricultural smuggling for years, and I personally believe it is high-time we put more resources into these efforts,” aniya.

“We have a good foundation in the bureau because for the past six years, there was a strong leadership at the helm, who pushed for the necessary changes that transformed our processes and made us more efficient in our jobs,” dagdag pa ni Ruiz.

Sinabi ni CIIS Director Jeoffrey Tacio na ang kanilang Field Station sa CDO ay nakatanggap ng “derogatory information” sa pamamagitan ng Field Information Report (FIRE) mula sa Intelligence Division hinggil sa isang shipment na posibleng misdeclared na agricultural products.

“In such instances, the standing order is for us to act immediately by filing the necessary documents and receiving the go-signal. It is imperative that we act swiftly on smuggling cases to prevent these incidents from repeatedly happening in our own ports,” aniya.

Matapos na matanggap ang derogatory information, ang field station chief ng CDO port ay humiling para sa paglalabas ng Pre-Lodgement Control Order (PLCO) laban sa shipments mula sa tanggapan ni CDO District Collector Elvira Cruz.

Isang Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) ang inirekomenda laban sa shipment, habang ang Primex Export and Import Producer ay mahaharap sa legal charges na may kaugnayan sa posibleng paglabag sa Section 1400 (misdeclaration of goods) at Section 117 (regulated importation) ng Republic Act 10863, o the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

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