Government operatives intercepted a shipment of suspected smuggled cigarettes at the Port of Zamboanga (PoZ) worth P8.6 million.
The Bureau of Customs (BoC) said composite teams from the Philippine National Police 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company, Philippine Coast Guard Station Zamboanga, Philippine Navy, and the Regional Special Operations Unit-9 seized a total of 276 master cases and 327 reams of smuggled cigarettes in five separate operations in Zamboanga City.
The operative units made three arrests at customs checkpoints and two during seaborne operations. Inspecting the smuggled products for the potential presence of illegal substances were agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
BoC-PoZ District Collector Segundo Sigmundfreud Barte Jr. reaffirmed that the port was dedicated to ending smuggling in the nation as one of the top priorities of BOC Commissioner Ruiz.
Barte Jr. vowed to improve strategies to prevent the entry of illegal goods through strengthened inter-agency coordination, support from the public, and guidance from the Commissioner.
The BoC took custody of the vessels, vehicles, and master cases of cigarettes for proper disposition in violation of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016, and the Tobacco Exportation and Importation Rules and Regulations.