-
The Bureau of Customs filed six criminal complaints against an importer, customs broker, Customs personnel, and other individuals over shipments declared as “chicken lollipops” but contained thousands of onion sacks and carrot boxes
-
The six shipments consigned to Berches Consumer Goods Trading arrived in June 2025
-
The agricultural products lacked the required Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry
-
With the latest cases, the BOC said it has filed 96 criminal cases involving 288 respondents, and recorded P13.7 billion in seizures from 2025 through 2026
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) filed six criminal complaints against an importer, customs broker, Customs personnel, and other individuals over shipments declared as “chicken lollipops” but contained thousands of sacks of onions and boxes of carrots.
The complaints were filed before the Department of Justice on September 22 against those involved in the shipments consigned to Consumer Goods Trading.
The six shipments, which arrived in June 2025, were subjected to physical examination and found to contain a total of 15,029 sacks of fresh white onions and 2,164 boxes of fresh carrots.
The agricultural products were also not covered by the required Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) from the Bureau of Plant Industry.
READ: BPI files case vs smuggler of carrots, onions
The BOC said the complaints allege violations of Section 1401, in relation to Sections 1400 and 117, of Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), involving the alleged fraudulent misdeclaration of the shipments and importation of regulated agricultural products without the required clearances.
The complaints against the BOC officials and personnel also cite Section 1431(c), (e), and (f) of the CMTA.
The provisions cover, among others, willful neglect of duties; providing an opportunity for, or failing to perform, an act with the intent to enable another person to defraud the government of customs revenue; and negligently or deliberately allowing another person to violate the law.
Separately, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service has endorsed the appropriate administrative charges against the concerned BOC officials and personnel to the Prosecution and Litigation Division for hearings under the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.
READ: BOC endorses complaints vs smugglers of agricultural goods
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, who led the filing, reiterated the bureau would pursue not only smugglers and their accomplices but also Customs officials and employees found to have participated in, facilitated, or benefited from illegal activities.
Nepomuceno also stressed the bureau’s integrity commitment following a recent National Bureau of Investigation operation in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, which reportedly implicated Customs personnel in the alleged smuggling of imported chicken meat.
“We have nothing to hide and will not tolerate any violations, especially if there are attempts to abuse our processes. Whether an importer, broker, or Customs personnel, if there is sufficient evidence, we will take the appropriate action and file the case through the proper process. Responsibility is for everyone,” Nepomuceno said in Filipino.
With the six complaints, the BOC said it has filed a total of 96 criminal cases involving 288 respondents.
The agency also reported P13.7 billion in seizures from 2025 through 2026 as part of efforts to prevent the entry and movement of illicit and misdeclared goods and to protect legitimate trade.
