Manila, April 14 -- About 22 abandoned refrigerated containers from several countries are placed under Bureau of Customs custody after these were found containing contaminated frozen meat and fish valued at approximately PHP178 million.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the frozen meat shipments were confirmed compromised, raising serious concerns on their safety and quality.

The shipments consisted of thawed beef, pork, chicken and fish with a total estimated net weight of 576,911.28 kilograms across 22 containers - including 16 from Brazil, two from the Netherlands, and one each from the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Due to the importer's failure to process the lawful withdrawal of the shipments withi...