The Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced on Wednesday that it had intercepted a shipment containing rare agarwood worth over P4 million at a warehouse in Pasay City. The shipment, labeled as “mahogany chips,” was sent from San Juan and intended for delivery to Dubai, UAE.
Upon further inspection, customs officials discovered 5.7 kilograms of rare agarwood valued at P4,275,000. This shipment violates the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines (PD 705), and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (RA 9147).
BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio emphasized their commitment to safeguarding the country’s borders, stating, “The Bureau of Customs continues its pursuit to strengthen the border security measures to and from the country, and we will be relentless against anyone who attempts to violate our customs laws.”
The confiscated agarwood will be handed over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for proper handling and conservation.
