Port of Davao authorities seized 1,325 boxes of smuggled imported President brand cigarettes from Vietnam worth P24,843,750 at the sub-port of Dadiangas in General Santos City.
The joint forces of Port of Davao, the Bureau of Customs Intelligence Group (IG) and Enforcement Group (EG), in coordination with the Interpol, conducted the operation. They discovered the smuggled cigarettes during the 100% physical inspection of the 40-footer container van at the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) container Yard 2.
The authorities received information at the shipment’s origin, causing them to issue an alert order to the importation.
Dadiangas’ Collector Elenita Abano said that upon inspection, they only found 1,100 pieces of corrugated boxes inside the container van, but the shipment declared it carried 25,000 brand new corrugated boxes. Authorities discovered 1,325 misdeclared cartons of President cigarettes inside the container van.
According to Abano, the shipment violated not only Customs Administrative Order (CAO) 8-2007 or the “Description of Imported Articles in Tariff Terms,” as implemented in Customs Memorandum Order Number (CMO) 28-2007 or “Goods Declared in General Manner to Avoid Proper Classification and Valuation,” but also Section 117 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) on import and export of regulated items like cigarettes.
Port of Davao District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria meanwhile said that firm behind the smuggled cigarettes could have its BOC accreditation canceled.
“The seizure of this illegal importation of cigarettes from Vietnam should serve as a warning to importers and traders that with strengthened cooperation with international intelligence and anti-crime organizations, we will be a step ahead of whatever their future plans are,” said Austria.
Also read: NBI raids factory of illegal cigarettes in Mexico, Pampanga
In April, BOC also intercepted P8.275 million worth of assorted smuggled cigarettes in Zamboanga City.
Authorities received a report that a motorized banca loaded with alleged smuggled cigarettes from Jolo, Sulu, is docked within the premises of Stanvac Lower Calarian, Zamboanga City.
The BOC said the smuggled cigarettes would be subjected to the issuance of Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) for lack of permit from the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) and violation of Executive Order No. 245 and Republic Act No. 10863.
Executive No. 245 is the Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Tobacco and Tobacco Products, while Republic Act No. 10863 refers to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.