BUREAU of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio on Sunday said that more smugglers will be arrested as the government intensifies its drives against the smuggling of agricultural products.

“This is not a one- or two-time thing. This is a continuous effort. The goal is not to allow even one sack of agricultural products to enter the country illegally because it will have such a huge impact on the economy, on our farmers,” Rubio told The Manila Times.

He said there would be no let up in the campaign against smugglers, adding that the ultimate goal is to “secure our borders to make illegal entry of farm products in the local market impossible.”

Rubio lauded the arrest over the weekend in Batangas City of alleged big-time onion smuggler Jayson de Roxas Taculog, owner of Taculog J International Consumer Goods Trading in Muntinlupa City.

It was earlier discovered by intelligence operatives of the Manila International Container Port (MICP) that Taculog’s company is the lone consignee of smuggled onions worth P171.35 million.

“This shows the commitment of the Marcos administration to go after these big-time agricultural smugglers. Bringing in these goods illegally is a significant threat to our economy, to the livelihoods of small farmers, and to the competitiveness of legitimate businesses,” he said.

“I hope that this latest operation will serve as a strong deterrent to other smugglers not to even attempt circumventing and making a mockery of our laws,” Rubio added.

Last week, Sen. Cynthia Villar said Taculog was arrested after he was caught smuggling 30 containers of onions.

Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Juvymax Uy underscored the coordination among key government agencies and the prompt actions of the BoC in Taculog’s arrest.

“This showcased our team’s unwavering commitment to bringing these perpetrators to justice and upholding the integrity of legitimate trade and importation [activities],” he said.