Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy, Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, and Manila International Container Port (MICP) District Collector Arnoldo Famor inspect the shipments that contain smuggled cigarettes and sugar at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on Friday, February 17, 2023. (Photo from BOC)
MANILA, Philippines — New Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio has led the inspection of containers holding P90,442,850 worth of smuggled cigarettes and sugar, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
Rubio was publicly named as the new BOC chief on February 10, taking over then officer-in-charge Yogi Filemon Ruiz’s post.
“Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, with Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax Uy and Manila International Container Port (MICP) District Collector Arnoldo Famor, led the physical examination of five shipments containing P90-million worth of smuggled sugar and cigarettes on Friday, February 17, at MICP,” said the BOC in a statement on Friday.
According to the BOC, the containers arrived between January 5 to February 12. The sugar and cigarettes were found to be misdeclared and undeclared.
The bureau will proceed to have seizure and forfeiture proceedings with the shipments in violation of the Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), Republic Act No. 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, as well as the rules and regulations of the Sugar Regulatory Administration and National Tobacco Administration.
The BOC’s Action Team Against Smugglers will also use the incident records to build criminal cases against those involved, in violation of Section 1401 of the CMTA, and the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016
“We cannot stress it enough: it is unlawful to bring products into the Philippines without the proper permits. By now, these unscrupulous groups should understand the severity of our non-stop campaign against their illegal activities,” Uy said.