You know the onion situation in the country is dire when you have flight crew members trying to get in on the smuggling drama.
The Philippine Airlines is reportedly investigating at least 10 crew members who allegedly attempted to bring into the country almost 40 kilograms of onions and fruits from the Middle East.
The Philippine Star reported that the crew members, who flew in from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were caught with an undeclared amount of 15.5 kilograms of onions, 4.5 kilograms of lemons, and a kilogram of strawberries when they passed through the customs lane.
The Bureau of Customs immediately confiscated the goods and said the airline staff violated three customs and plant quarantine laws.
But while customs recommended taking “appropriate legal action” against the crew members, no charges were filed against the staff — adding that Republic Act 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, only penalizes “large-scale smuggling.”
