Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel in Bukidnon destroyed an estimated P50 million worth of “misdeclared” cigarettes from China.
According to the BOC, the shipment came from China and arrived at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan on September 18, 2020.
Included in the shipment are 1,700 master cases or 85,000 reams of various brands of cigarettes from China.
The shipment was consigned to Denian Dry Goods Trading, and the shipment was allegedly declared as “office furniture.”
The shipment was subjected to physical examination, so the true contents were discovered.
“Upon examination by Customs Examiner, together with operatives of Customs Intelligence Investigative Service (CIIS) CDO Field Station and Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) CDO District, the shipment in two containers revealed to contain illegal cigarettes,” said Customs.
Using a backhoe and road roller, the items were passed through the Terra Cycliq Corporation facility in Barangay Montibugao, Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon on July 28.
“This apprehension is still a result of our continuous intelligence sharing with other government agencies and the international intelligence community to ensure our border protection against smuggling,” according to IO1 Oliver Valiente, chief of the Customs Intelligence Investigative Service in Cagayan de Oro.
P50-M worth of ‘misdeclared’ cigarettes from China destroyed in Bukidnon
The BOC said the consignee of the shipment would face charges of violating Section 1400 or Misdeclaration of Goods Description under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Early this month, three men and 1 woman were arrested after seizing nearly P1.2-million worth of suspected counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes in Botolan town, Zambales.
According to provincial director Police Col Romano Cardiño, the Special Task Group Intensified Cleanliness Policy obtained a report that there were illegally sold smuggled cigarettes suspected to be counterfeit. In coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry, the police launched an operation to track down the suspects.
Police intercepted 2 vans on Zambales-Tarlac Road. The vans stopped, and when they opened them, operatives saw boxes of cigarettes. However, the 4 occupants of the 2 vans could not show any papers.
In all, about 30 boxes were recovered, equivalent to about 1,500 reams or thousands of packs of cigarettes.