In a submitted statement to the Senate Committee on Agriculture chaired by Senator Francis Pangilinan, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said that the DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement (DA-IE) conducted 182 anti-smuggling operations between January 2024 and July 2025, leading to the confiscation of P3.78 billion worth of illegal agricultural and fishery goods.
In 2024 alone, P2.8 billion worth of smuggled products were seized. However, smugglers remain active, with 111 operations this year yielding P953 million in seizures.
A notable win includes the ongoing detention of an onion importer at Manila City Jail, with multiple cases filed in courts in Manila and Olongapo. More legal actions are underway as the DA builds its evidence base. ### (Photos by Jay Morales, DA-OSEC)
