Officers from the Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7) on August 1 confiscated hundreds of boxes of smuggled cigarettes, worth P2.1 million in Oslob town, southern Cebu. | Photo from PCG-7 FB
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Hundreds of boxes of smuggled cigarettes worth P2.1 million were confiscated by officers of the Philippine Coast Guard in Central Visayas (PCG-7).
PCG-7, in a statement, said they intercepted a wing van-type truck a few meters away from Mainit Port in Oslob town, southern Cebu last August 1.
The truck was reportedly carrying undocumented and illegally transported goods to Metro Cebu.
They confiscated cigarette boxes, bearing an imported brand, hidden inside cartons labeled as canned sardines worth P2,116,000.
The shipment, PCG-7 said, originated from Zamboanga.
They added they received official information from authorities in Mindanao about smuggled goods bound for Cebu on a roll-on-roll-off (roro) passenger vessel that departed from Dapitan Port.
“The goods were declared as canned goods and were packed in canned sardine boxes to avoid detection,” said PCG-7.
The smuggled cigarettes were turned over to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for proper disposal.
Oslob is a fourth-class municipality located approximately 118 kilometers south of Cebu City.
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