Customs seizes P55 billion smuggled goods in H1

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated some P55 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 accomplishment report released yesterday, the BOC said the total value of smuggled goods seized by the agency reached P55.17 billion from January to June. This is part of the 868 anti-smuggling operation seizures conducted during the six-month period.

The BOC said the seizures in the first semester are attributed to the agency’s commitment to combat smuggling and protect the public from unsafe and illegal products.

Broken down, counterfeit goods worth P29.74 billion topped the list of seized items, followed by general merchandise amounting to P14.52 billion. 

Of the counterfeit goods, the biggest seizure was worth P11 billion, composed of imitations of high-end brands such as Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Rolex, Apple, Hermes and Dior.

The BOC also confiscated P5.53 billion in cigarettes, tobacco and vape products and P2.94 billion in vehicles and accessories. 

The agency likewise seized P2.28 billion worth of illegal drugs in 80 operations.

Shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) was the most commonly seized drug at P1.24 billion, followed by marijuana at P934 million and ecstasy at P92 million.

The BOC said its drive against illegal drugs was supported by enhanced X-ray scanning, improved risk profiling training and increased intelligence sharing with agencies such as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation.

Similarly, the BOC marked 9.89 billion liters of fuel under its fuel marking program, generating P121.72 billion as of end-June. 

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, alongside the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), uses 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 appropriate fines and penalties.

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