P36M worth of fake cigarettes confiscated by Customs

A total of P36 million of smuggled fake cigarettes were confiscated by the Bureau of Customs-Port of Manila on Friday.

The BOC-POM said the fake cigarettes were found in a 40-foot container.

The shipment which arrived on August 25 was declared to contain cable connectors.

However it was suspected to contain undeclared tobacco.

When opened, the container yielded approximately 800 master cases of fake cigarettes.

A representative of a local cigarette company confirmed that the items were not produced locally or with the company's permission.

Earlier this month, the BOC seized P80M worth of fake N95 masks and smuggled cigarettes in Bulacan. 

Some P15.7 million worth of smuggled and fake cigarettes were also confiscated by the BOC in a warehouse in Bocaue, Bulacan this month. —KG, GMA News