The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P100 million worth of illegal shipments of imported cigarettes in separate operations in ports in Misamis Oriental and Zambales provinces last week.
Cris Angelo Andrade, BOC Northern Mindanao information officer, said the P40-million shipment from China arrived at the Mindanao Container Terminal subport in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental, on Sept. 17 and was seized for lack of import papers and other documents.
In Zambales, the BOC seized P60 million worth of smuggled cigarettes loaded in container vans that arrived at the Subic Bay Freeport on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 from China.
Marites Martin, BOC Subic district collector, said the cigarettes were found in two vans declared to contain steel wire mesh.
—Jigger Jerusalem and Joanna Rose Aglibot