Photo courtesy of BOC
MANILA, Philippines — A P5.5 billion worth of illegally imported cigarettes and counterfeit items were discovered by authorities at a warehouse in Bulacan province during an operation on Friday, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
In a report Saturday, BOC said it served a letter of authority (LOA) against a warehouse in Meycauayan after Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) received information that the establishment storing imported cigarettes and IPR (intellectual property rights)-infringing goods.
READ: P5.5-billion smuggled cigarettes, fake items seized in Bulacan
“When the team got there to serve the LOA, they found a volume of stored imported cigarettes amounting to P500 million and P5 billion worth of IPR-infringing items,” BOC-CIIS Director Verne Enciso said.
“Among the counterfeit items in the warehouse were gadgets, devices, and garments,” the statement disclosed.
After the discovery of items, BOC said it temporarily locked the entrance and exit gates of the warehouse, while its owners and operators were given 15 days to submit documents that the items were legitimately imported and that correct duties and taxes were duly paid pursuant to Section 224 of Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
“If they fail to present the proper documents, they can face charges for violating Section 117 (regulated importation and exportation) and Section 1400 (misdeclaration in goods declaration) in relation to Section 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of the CMTA,” the agency said.
“They will also face charges in accordance with Republic Act 8293, otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, Republic Act 10963, the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN Law), and the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) Board Resolution No. 079-2005 (amended rules and regulations governing the exportation and importation of leaf tobacco and tobacco products),” it added.