P413M smuggled cigarette disposal continues at Subic customs

SAN ANTONIO, Zambales—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Subic on Thursday continued condemning and disposing of 10 containers of abandoned cigarettes valued at about P413 million, following the destruction of the first three containers worth P129.065 million at the end of July. 

The first batch, consisting of three 40-foot containers containing about 3,000 cases of assorted-brand cigarettes, was destroyed from July 28 to Aug. 3 at the Legaxy 88 Recyclable Materials Collection Services in Santa Maria, Bulacan, an accredited disposal facility of the Port of Subic.

The cigarettes underwent shredding and pyrolysis, or the use of intense heat to break down molecules in accordance with established customs disposal procedures, the BOC said in an August 25 statement. 

READ: P129M abandoned cigarettes destroyed in Bulacan – BOC

The agency then disposed of the remaining seven containers. 

The agency said it coordinated with the appropriate committees and accredited disposal facilities to ensure the abandoned goods are properly accounted for, rendered unusable, and disposed of in accordance with the law.

The latest operation came weeks after the BOC Port of Subic oversaw the destruction of about P430 million worth of cigarettes in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Police seized the shipment in separate operations and later declared the items abandoned before destroying them.

The Port of Subic said the continuing disposal is part of its “efforts to safeguard government revenue, secure the country’s borders and promote transparency and accountability in customs operations.”/coa