Customs seizes P41.5 billion smuggled goods in H1

MANILA, Philippines —  The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated almost P42 billion in smuggled goods during the first semester of the year as the entry of illegal items into the country remains a problem.

In its midyear report, the BOC said the total value of smuggled goods seized by the agency reached P41.58 billion from January to June.

This is part of the 204 anti-smuggling operation seizures conducted during the six months.

Broken down, counterfeit goods worth P18.89 billion topped the list of seized items, followed by general merchandise amounting to P13.52 billion.

The BOC also confiscated P5.53 billion in cigarettes and tobacco and P2.05 billion in illegal drugs.

Other seized items were vehicles and accessories (P435.5 million), agricultural products (P105 million), currencies (P32.38 million), fuel (P19.33 million) and chemicals (P4.49 million).

BOC said the seizures in the first semester are still attributed to the agency’s intensified efforts against the illegal entry of various commodities into the Philippines.

Similarly, the BOC marked 10.19 billion liters of fuel under its fuel marking program.

Fuel marking, which involves injecting chemical identifiers into tax-paid oil products, is being carried out under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law to curb the smuggling of petroleum products.

The BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) use a chemical identifier to determine whether a fuel bundle complies with the corresponding taxes.

If a fuel contains less than 95 percent of the marker, its owner will be directed to pay the duties first and then settle the penalties.

Petroleum products that are unmarked, with diluted markers, or have counterfeit fuel markers shall be subject to duties and taxes, including the appropriate fines and penalties.

The BOC looks into the shipments of fuel traders, while the BIR monitors the output of local refiners.