P78-M worth of smuggled, counterfeit cigarettes seized in Subic

The Bureau of Customs-Port of Subic seized P78 million worth of smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes.

The cigarettes were confiscated from 2 container shipments on Tuesday.

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On July 13, pre-lodgement control orders and 2 forty-footer containers with declared contents of laminating film were issued to Mysticflare Import and Export Co.

Both shipments underwent examination where it was marked “for verification.”

It was here that authorities discovered that they contained various brands of smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes.

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Immediately issued a warrant of seizure and detention against the said shipments for violating National Tobacco Administration (NTA) Memorandum Circular No. 03, 2004 series; NTA Board Resolution No. 079-2005; Section 155 of R.A. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines in relation to Section 1113 (f) of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

Last week, Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel in Bukidnon destroyed an estimated P50 million worth of “misdeclared” cigarettes from China.

According to the BOC, the shipment came from China and arrived at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan on September 18, 2020.

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P78-M worth of smuggled, counterfeit cigarettes seized in Subic

Included in the shipment are 1,700 master cases or 85,000 reams of various brands of cigarettes from China.

The shipment was consigned to Denian Dry Goods Trading, and the shipment was allegedly declared as “office furniture.”

The shipment was subjected to physical examination, so the true contents were discovered.

“Upon examination by Customs Examiner, together with operatives of Customs Intelligence Investigative Service (CIIS) CDO Field Station and Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) CDO District, the shipment in two containers revealed to contain illegal cigarettes,” said Customs.

Using a backhoe and road roller, the items were passed through the Terra Cycliq Corporation facility in Barangay Montibugao, Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon on July 28.

“This apprehension is still a result of our continuous intelligence sharing with other government agencies and the international intelligence community to ensure our border protection against smuggling,” according to IO1 Oliver Valiente, chief of the Customs Intelligence Investigative Service in Cagayan de Oro.

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