After onion prices in the Philippines rose to exceed the prices of chicken and beef, Philippine Airlines crew members resorted to smuggling onions. However, their matter was revealed and 10 of them were referred for interrogation.
Media reports in the Philippines indicated that the crews of the Riyadh-Manila and Dubai-Manila flights are facing investigation on charges of smuggling agricultural products, after they tried to bring in about 27 kilograms of onions and 10 kilograms of lemons.
The information stated that the crew was stopped last Friday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines, and the products were confiscated by customs officials, and it is expected that the penalties imposed on them will be announced at the end of this week.
The Philippine customs at Ninoy Aquino International Airport announced the seizure of agricultural products on January 10, 2023, with 10 flight attendants illegally imported from Dubai and Riyadh.
Customs carried out manual checks of their baggage after an X-ray examination, which revealed various agricultural products, such as onions and fruits, without obtaining the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary import permits.
Under the Customs and Tariff Modernization Act, imports of plant products that are considered a “regulated import” require prior authorization or authorization from the relevant government regulatory agency.
The statement said the flight attendants are under further investigation for alleged illegal importation, in violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, Presidential Decree 1433, and the Plant Quarantine Act.
Onion prices skyrocketed during the current month from two and a half dollars to $11 per kilogram, which is 25% more expensive than the price of chicken and 50% of the price of beef.
The cost of a kilogram of onions exceeded the minimum daily wage for labor in the Philippines.
Reports indicated that the reasons for the skyrocketing onion prices during the current month are due to global inflation and the exposure of the Philippines to a severe hurricane in August and September 2022, which led to the destruction of crops, in addition to the production of small quantities of onions by farms.
