Bulacan smugglers hounded

Agents from the Bureau of Customs and the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) served a Letter of Authority (LoA) to individuals storing imported goods in Meycauayan, Bulacan without paying the necessary customs duties and taxes.

The operation, conducted under the terms of the LoA, involved personnel from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bulacan Police Provincial Office, the Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers, the Philippine Coast Guard — Task Force Aduana, and CIIS-MICP agents.

They were also accompanied by operatives from the Enforcement and Security Service-MICP.

During the inspection of the warehouses, authorities discovered a large volume of imported cigarettes valued at P500 million, along with P5 billion worth of intellectual property rights (IPR)-infringing goods, including gadgets, devices, and clothing. The total estimated value of the seized items is P5.5 billion.