About one kilogram of highly valued agarwood, which was intended to be smuggled out of the country, was confiscated by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last January 31.
The outbound cargo, valued at P750,000 was intercepted at a warehouse inside NAIA.
The shipment was labeled as dry wood chips; however, it was discovered to be a rare and in-demand type of wood.
The BoC said that the shipment of this kind of wood contravenes laws such as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines, and the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, which oversee the commerce and shipment of endangered and protected species.
Agarwood is considered the highest-valued forest product because of its use in perfumery, traditional medicine, and luxury products.
Agarwood is at risk due to excessive harvesting and illegal logging.
The confiscated agarwood was turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for proper handling and disposition.
In November last year, the BoC-NAIA confiscated two packages containing 5.7 kilograms of agarwood worth P4,275,000. The packages were destined for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The BoC-NAIA foiled an attempt to smuggle 28 kilos of agarwood to the UAE on December 3, 2020.
Photo Courtesy: BoC Website
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