The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has intercepted some P90 million worth of smuggled sugar and cigarettes contained in five container vans at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).
Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the shipment was discovered after the Bureau conducted physical examination of five shipments at the MICP.
The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-MICP (CIIS-MICP) recommended the issuance of Alert Orders (AOs) after receiving information about the shipments—three of which were from Hong Kong, and two from China.
Examinations revealed an estimated P90,442,850 worth of smuggled cigarettes and sugar inside the five vans.
The shipments arrived between January 5, 2023, and February 12, 2023.
“These contrabands threaten the economy and put Filipino consumers at risk. I’d like to assure everyone that we are equally relentless in our efforts to keep our borders secure from these smuggling activities, Rubio said.
He said the agency had been “actively monitoring” information about shipments that possibly contain smuggled goods in an intensified effort to curb the entry of contraband and illegal products into the country.
“We cannot stress it enough: it is unlawful to bring products into the Philippines without the proper permits. By now, these unscrupulous groups should understand the severity of our non-stop campaign against their illegal activities,” he said.
The Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers (BATAS) will be filing corresponding criminal cases against those responsible for the illegal importation of the subject agricultural and tobacco products for violation of Section 1401 (Unlawful Importation) of the CMTA, and the
Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016.
