Customs seizes P30M smuggled cigarettes concealed in footwear boxes

Operatives of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) at the Port of Cagayan de Oro (CDO) have seized P30 million worth of smuggled cigarettes concealed in boxes of footwear, the agency said Tuesday.

In a statement, the BOC said the illicit cigarettes were uncovered during an inspection on May 21 of a shipment from China which arrived at Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

The shipment arrived on May 20.

The BOC said the inspection was prompted by a tip received by Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS)-CDO field station chief Oliver Valiente from national intelligence agencies about the said shipment.

With this, District Collector John Simon issued an alert order against the shipment.

Customs agents conducted a partial examination of the shipment and they discovered P30 million worth of illicit cigarettes declared together with some footwear.

A warrant of seizure and detention was issued against the shipment.

The shipment was consigned to a certain Lorna Oftana from General Santos City. The shipment is now under formal investigation for allegedly violating RA 10863 otherwise known as Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

In line with the mandate of the bureau to strengthen border protection and security, an estimated P 110 million worth of illicit cigarettes were also apprehended by the Port of Cagayan de Oro last year, according to the BOC.—AOL, GMA News