Metro Manila, Philippines— Authorities have intercepted some ₱30 million worth of yellow onions “smuggled” into the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) disclosed on Saturday.
The sacks of the produce — pegged at 100,000 kilograms — were discovered in four large container vans earlier this week, the DA said in a statement.
The items were declared as packages of bread and pastries.
“The discrepancy in the import documents of said shipments presupposes that it did not undergo any food safety regulations,” the department said. “This poses a great risk to our consumers.”
The DA did not mention where the operation took place, but noted it was carried out with other agencies including the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
It said it will submit a recommendation to the BOC for the “filing of an appropriate case.”
The report comes amid the spike in prices of the said commodity in the country.
