The Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted an outbound cargo containing rare agarwood worth P750,000 at a warehouse in Pasay City on January 31.
According to the BOC, the shipment was declared as dried wood chips, but further testing revealed that it contained around one kilogram of agarwood.
Agarwood is a rare wood used in luxury goods, medicine, and perfumes.
Its exportation violates the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines (Presidential Decree 705), and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (Republic Act 9147).
“The BOC will continue to uphold strict enforcement measures against wildlife trafficking, ensuring that our borders are not used for illicit activities that threaten biodiversity and environmental sustainability,” said BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio.
The seized agarwood will be turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for proper handling and disposition, the BOC said. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News
