Illegal cigarettes worth P860M seized in Cebu -- BOC

MANILA, Philippines — Illicit cigarettes worth P860 million concealed in 11 40-foot container vans have been seized in Cebu by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and other partner agencies.

According to the BOC, the cigarettes were uncovered together with the Philippine Coast Guard, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, and Bureau of Internal Revenue on Wednesday.

The BOC said that authorities received intelligence information that led to the interception of two container vans filled with cigarettes early Wednesday in Mandaue City and six additional container vans in Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City. The agency added that trucking company representatives informed them that three more containers were yet to be discharged from a private shipping establishment in Mandaue City.

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“Upon arrival at the facility, the identified containers were confirmed to be loaded with cigarettes, bringing the total number of containers discovered to eleven (11) with an estimated value of ₱860 million,” the BOC said in a press release on Thursday.

The BOC added that the “Port of Cebu is currently coordinating with the officers of the shipping line to trace the origin and movement of the containers” while full inventory and final valuation are underway to determine the exact value of the goods.

This operation came days after the concerned agencies seized suspected smuggled cigarettes worth over P1.7 billion found inside 24 containers from Cebu. The cigarettes were misdeclared as consumer goods aboard a vessel in a private port in Cebu.

“Combined with the Cebu operation, the total estimated value of illicit cigarette shipments intercepted this week has reached approximately ₱2.5 billion, underscoring the government’s intensified campaign against smuggling,” the BOC noted.

With these operations, BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to “pursue those responsible and dismantle the networks that enable illicit trade.” /mr

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