Cigarettes smuggled from China were intercepted by the Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu (BOCPC) last August 19, 2020. The items were estimated to be worth P92 million. | Photo from BOCPC
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs Port of Cebu (BOC-Cebu) intercepted once again shipments of smuggled cigarettes from China last Wednesday, August 19, 2020.
In a statement released on Tuesday, August 25, BOC-Cebu said that the smuggled cigarettes arrived the Port of Cebu from two separate shipments consigned to GRR Trading. The value of the said smuggled cigarettes is estimated to be P92 million.
“This swift apprehension is the result of vigilance and close monitoring of our agents, coupled with x-ray inspection technology,” said Port of Cebu Acting District Collector Atty. Charlito Martin R. Mendoza in the statement.
BOC-Cebu stated that the declared items of the containers were umbrellas, tables, cabinets and chairs. But when the Enforcement and Security Service (ESS)– Port of Cebu District Commander requested both shipments to be subjected to x-ray inspection after flagging the shipments to be suspiciously similar to a previously apprehended misdeclared shipment, it was found out that it contained cigarettes.
Last August 16, the BOC-Cebu also intercepted 1,092 master cases of “Astro” cigarettes worth P54.6 million with the same receiver company.
Read: Cebu Customs intercepts P54.6M of smuggled cigarettes
Mendoza warned importers who violate and disregard the custom laws that aside from seizure of their shipments, the bureau will also revoke their accreditation and file legal cases against them. /bmjo