Philippine Customs Seize P53-M Misdeclared Medicines from China

MILLIONS IN MISDECLARED PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS SEIZED BY BOC

MANILA — The Bureau of Customs has seized an estimated 53 million pesos worth of misdeclared pharmaceutical products and other goods at the Manila International Container Port, officials said Wednesday.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno led the inspection of the shipment from China, which was declared as containing 1,144 pet cages. A spot check revealed undeclared medicines, prompting a full physical examination.

Authorities found 336 boxes of pharmaceutical products valued at 33.367 million pesos without the required permits from the Food and Drug Administration, according to a BOC statement. An additional 406 boxes of other goods — including electronics, cosmetics, automotive parts, hardware and various accessories — worth 19.692 million pesos were also seized.

The consignee was identified as South LG Consumer Goods Trading.

The seizure constitutes violations of Section 1400 on misdeclaration in goods declaration in relation to Section 1113 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, as well as Republic Act No. 9711, or the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009.

“Our sustained intelligence and enforcement operations are driven by our commitment to safeguarding public safety and advancing the welfare of the nation,” Nepomuceno said in a statement. “We will not allow illicit trade to undermine the safety of our people or the integrity of our economy.”

Speaking in Filipino, the commissioner warned would-be smugglers that the BOC would ensure all responsible parties are held accountable.

MICP District Collector Felipe Geoffrey de Vera said the port would maintain heightened vigilance at the border in support of the commissioner’s intensified anti-smuggling campaign.

Also present during the inspection were Franklin Anthony Tabaquin IV, officer-in-charge of the FDA’s Office of the Deputy Director General for Field Regulatory Operations, and representatives from pharmaceutical firm Unilab Inc.

The government would have collected about 50.563 million pesos in dutiable value and 2.290 million pesos in Customs duties had the shipment contained the declared items, according to BOC estimates.

Unilab assistant vice president Claire de Leon-Papa advised the public to buy medicines only from reputable and registered pharmacies and to check packaging, expiration dates, consistency, color and taste.

The BOC said it would continue intelligence-driven operations to prevent smuggling, protect public health and ensure fair trade nationwide.

By Lorenz Tanjoco, Radyo Pilipinas