Customs files DOJ complaint against 14, including nine officers, for misdeclared onions and carrots

The Bureau of Customs submitted a formal complaint to the Department of Justice naming 14 respondents, including nine customs employees, over alleged false declarations of agricultural goods at the Port of Subic. Six separate charges under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act target the owner and staff of Berches Consumer Goods Trading as well as the customs officers responsible for appraisal. According to Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, the goods—white onions and carrots—were undervalued at P17.5 million.

He warned that the action serves as a deterrent to both officials and smugglers, emphasizing risks to public health and the livelihood of farmers and fishermen. The accused customs staff are now under preventive suspension, and the BOC will also pursue violations of the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act, which applies to cases exceeding P10 million. The bureau highlighted its broader anti-smuggling efforts, noting 1,882 operations that have recovered P84 billion in illicit goods, including nearly P14 billion in agricultural items.