Customs says P2.5-M onion shipment declared as juice, pickles

Red onions, P2.5 million worth loaded in three container vans and declared as pickles and juice in an attempt to smuggle them into the country, were intercepted following a tip from an informant, according to Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez. Alvarez said the documents listed the shipment’s consignee as Interwide Trading and Airfreight Alliance. The onions came from China and arrived at the Port of Manila without the proper import clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry, according to the Customs Bureau The shipment, at 50,000 kilos as estimated by Customs Deputy Commissioner Horacio Suansing, is the latest in a series of attempts over the past several months to smuggle thousands of kilos of onions from China to the Philippines. One large shipment of smuggled onions in eight container vans last September was declared as microphones. Local onion growers are complaining of losing millions of pesos in sales to onion smugglers. Onion farmers said some of the contraband even made their way to supermarkets and grocery stores in Metro Manila. — ELR/VS, GMA News