Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 19) – Authorities seized 300 tons of “smuggled” onions and garlic worth ₱135 million in raids in Manila and Malabon, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Sunday.
The joint operation by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – Anti-Transnational Crime Unit (CIDG-ATCU), the Bureau of Customs (BOC), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was held last Feb. 17.
“The operation was carried out in response to numerous reports of illegal importation and hoarding of agri-products, particularly locally produced onions, and garlic,” CIDG Director PBGen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said.
The PNP said 40 to 50 tons of imported onions and garlic worth P40 million were seized from 23 warehouses in Tondo and Binondo in Manila. In Barangay Catmon, Malabon, 250 tons of imported onions and garlic worth ₱95 million were seized from a warehouse.
“With the LOA (Letters of Authority) issued by [BOC] Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, we set our plan and implement our operation against the owners of these warehouses or storage facilities,” Caramat said.
The PNP also said investigations are ongoing to determine the individuals involved in the alleged smuggling and hoarding of onions and garlic, which had been “sealed and padlocked.”
In January, authorities seized smuggled agricultural and fishery products worth ₱202.5 million at the Manila International Container Port, and most of these were onions, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
According to the DA’s latest price monitoring, imported onions and garlic are sold in National Capital Region markets at the following prices:
Medium, imported, red onions at ₱125 per kilogram
Large, imported, red onions at ₱110 to ₱180 per kilogram
Medium, imported, white onions at ₱130 to ₱150 per kilogram
Large, imported, white onions at ₱120 to ₱200 per kilogram
Imported garlic at ₱80 to ₱140 per kilogram
