Smuggled cigarettes worth P605M seized in Bulacan warehouse

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized hundreds of millions of pesos worth of illicit cigarettes during an inspection of a warehouse in Plaridel, Bulacan.

In a statement on Wednesday, the BOC said it discovered P605.29 million worth of smuggled cigarettes with “markings indicating China and Vietnam.”

Customs said the inspection, which led to the seizure of the illicit cigarettes, was conducted by virtue of a Letter of Authority, following intelligence reports from Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service–Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) led by Intelligence Officer IV Alvin Enciso of “suspicious warehouse activities.”

The BOC said that during the operation, its operatives uncovered 8,647 master cases of imported cigarettes without the required Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax stamps and the Philippine-mandated graphic health warnings.

Following the discovery of the illicit cigarettes, the Customs said a Warrant of Seizure and Detention will be issued for violation of Section 263 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997, as amended, National Tobacco Administration (NTA) Memorandum Circular No. 02, s.2020, and Section 1113 of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Moreover, criminal complaints will be filed against the registered owner and proprietor of the warehouse where the illicit cigarettes were discovered.

The BOC said the operation was conducted by its Intelligence and Enforcement Groups, with the Intellectual Property Rights Division, CII-MICP, and Enforcement and Security Service–Port of Manila, in coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard, and barangay officials of Bulihan, Plaridel, Bulacan.

It added that three individuals were apprehended during the inspection and are now undergoing inquest proceedings before the Department of Justice. 

“Our proactive enforcement ensures that we are fully compliant with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to stop illicit cigarettes from infiltrating legitimate trade channels and protect the welfare of our citizen,” said Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno. —VAL, GMA Integrated News