P860 million illegal cigarettes seized in Cebu

MANILA, Philippines — Illegal cigarettes valued at P860 million were seized by agents of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in separate operations in Cebu on Wednesday.

The contraband was found in 11 shipping containers, which  were intercepted in Mandaue City as well as in Barangay Bacayan in Cebu City.

The BOC said the containers were transported through domestic routes using a local shipping company.

First to be seized were two shipping containers in Mandaue City, where drivers told authorities about a container yard in Barangay Bacayan.

A raid on the container yard resulted in the seizure of six more containers loaded with cigarettes.

A representative of a trucking company tipped off the raiding team about the location of three more containers that were yet to be released from a private facility in Mandaue.

The anti-smuggling operations were conducted in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the proliferation of illegal cigarettes weakens legitimate businesses and deprives the government of revenue.

The BOC-Port of Cebu is coordinating with personnel of the shipping line to trace the origin and movement of the containers.

A full inventory and final valuation are being undertaken to determine the exact value of the seized commodities.