BOC seizes P36-M worth of illegal cigarettes in Port of Zamboanga
MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized a total of 1,038 master cases of illegally imported cigarettes worth P36,330,000 in Zamboanga City.
According to the BOC in a statement, the cigarettes were discovered and confiscated after a joint follow-up operation on Jan. 25 in an abandoned warehouse in Barangay Kasanyangan, Zamboanga City.
The operation was conducted after a shooting incident in Dustone Drive, Barangay Kasanyangan, Zamboanga City the day before.
After the discovery of the said smuggled cigarettes, customs agents also confiscated a vehicle which was also abandoned in the vicinity of the warehouse.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said that the cigarettes yielded negative results for the presence of dangerous drugs.
BOC said the cigarettes are now subject to the issuance of the Warrant of Seizure and Detention for violation of Section 117 of Republic Act 10863 or the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) of 2016 in relation to Executive Order Number 245 entitled “Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Leaf Tobacco and Tobacco Products.”
The illegal cigarettes, along with the vehicle, are now currently stored at another warehouse in Zamboanga City.
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