The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Sunday reported the disposal of assorted confiscated products in Zamboanga City, including over 200 bales of used clothing, ensuring that non-compliant goods are kept out of the supply chain.
In a news release, the BOC said among the forfeited goods dumped into a sanitary landfill by the Port of Zamboanga on Dec. 2 were 281 bales of used clothing (ukay-ukay), 153 sacks of sugar and 28 boxes of medicines.
The items were previously forfeited for violations of Republic Act No. 4653, which bans the commercial importation of used clothing, and Republic Act No. 9711 (Food and Drug Administration Act), in relation to Section 117 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, which prohibits the importation of regulated health products without proper authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.
“Beyond the seizure of illicit goods, we must ensure their proper and safe disposal to prevent risk or harm to the public and the environment,” BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said in the same news release.
The condemnation was streamed live online “to uphold transparency and integrity in all customs operations, Nepomuceno added. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
