SUBIC FREEPORT, Zambales (July 8, 2025) — Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Tuesday led various agencies in inspecting 10 container vans flagged on suspicion they are loaded with smuggled agricultural commodities, potentially the biggest single seizure under the newly enacted Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
With the goods loaded in 10 container vans estimated to be worth ₱100 million, the total value of the entire haul of 31 container vans could reach several hundreds of millions of pesos.
The 10 containers vans, all imported from China, were found to be loaded with frozen mackerel, fresh carrots, and yellow onions—agricultural products that require import permits, which were notably absent.
The operation was conducted by the DA Inspectorate and Enforcement (DA-IE) Office in coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Subic, led by Collector Noel Estanislao. The inspection followed Alert Requests issued by the DA-IE and was carried out under the One DA Border Control Team (1-DABCT) framework, with representatives from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) present.
Since the start of June, the DA has filed 15 Alert Requests that have resulted in the seizure of 76 container vans suspected of being loaded with smuggled goods, 59 of which arrived via the Port of Subic. ### (Photos by Jay Morales, DA-OSEC)
