- Customs authorities seize smuggled frozen Peking ducks at the Port of Batangas
- The shipment arrived on January 17 without the required importation permit
- A warrant of seizure and detention was issued against the shipment
Customs agents in the Port of Batangas confiscated a 20-footer refrigerated container van full of smuggled frozen Peking ducks from Hong Kong. The hot meat numbering about 3,000 pieces were packed in 500 boxes weighing approximately 18 kilograms each.
The shipment, according to Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) chief Manolo “Bong” Arevalo, arrived at the Port of Batangas on January 17 without the required importation permit from the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS); making it “outright seizurable” in favor of the government.
William Depasupil wrote in his article for the Manila Times published on February 11, 2016 that according to Arevalo, the shipment is still subject to outright confiscation even if it has complied with all the importation requirements because all meat importation from Hong Kong is prohibited.
“Peking duck importation is not only prohibited but is banned by the Philippine government because of the existence of the bird flu virus from its country of origin,” Arevalo said.
Apart from having no NMIS importation permit, which is a violation of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, the address of the consignee, GET Enterprises, appeared to be fictitious.
Port of Batangas officer-in-charge Reynaldo Galeno, on the basis of the CIIS’s findings and Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Service Jessie Dellosa’s recommendation, issued a warrant of seizure and detention against the entire shipment.
Arevalo said the smuggled Peking ducks, because of the high probability that they are contaminated with avian flu virus, will be destroyed, burned and buried.
An investigation as to the real owner of the shipment has been ordered by Dellosa so appropriate charges could be filed.
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