An intelligence unit of the national task group on food security has confiscated around P100 million worth of smuggled frozen food products after a raid in Brgy. San Rafael Village, Navotas City.
In an anti-smuggling operation held yesterday, authorities seized 12 refrigerated container vans holding an assortment of frozen pork, beef, jumbo shrimp, eel, black chicken, crawfish, Peking duck, and dory fish fillet.
“Based on the markings of the boxes, the shipments came from Vietnam, China, Germany, and Belgium,” the Department of Agriculture (DA) said in a statement released on Friday via Viber.
This marks the sub task group on economic intelligence’s first operation against illegal traders,
The units which participated in the operation include the DA, Department of Trade and Industry, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police.
Representatives from the Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the National Meat Inspection Service are now making an inventory of the smuggled goods.
“Documentation and filing of appropriate criminal cases against the owner of the smuggled shipments shall be conducted by NBI-National Capital Region,” the DA said. — Angelica Y. Yang