SOUTH HARBOUR, Port Area – The Department of Agriculture (DA), in coordination with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), its Inspectorate and Enforcement office, Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intercepted six container vans carrying misdeclared imported onions and mackerel—potentially serving as a test case for the newly enacted Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
Upon joint inspection, three of the six 40-foot containers were found to hold approximately 74 metric tons of fresh red onions valued at around P10.3 million. One container held yellow onions worth P3.82 million, and two others contained frozen mackerel with an estimated value of between P13 million and P20 million.
Violators of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law may face a fine amounting to five times the value of the smuggled or hoarded agricultural products and life imprisonment. Under the law, smuggling or hoarding of agricultural commodities is classified as economic sabotage if the value of the goods exceeds P10 million. ### (Photos by Jay Morales, DA-AFID)
