The Bureau of Customs (BoC) thwarted P39.300 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and dried tobacco products bound for Manila.

The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) and Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) immediately initiated coordination with port authorities and shipping lines for the tagging, monitoring, and inspection of six container vans originating from Zamboanga City and Bacolod City bound for Manila.

The shipments were subjected to 100 percent physical examination at the Sub-Port of North Harbor in the presence of representatives from concerned government agencies and port authorities.

The inspection uncovered multiple brands of cigarettes and hundreds of sacks of dried tobacco concealed in container vans originating from Zamboanga and Bacolod and falsely declared as dried fish and general merchandise.

The seized items—including Platinum, Lasa, King Philip, H&P Red Premium, Cannon Menthol, and Modern Brand cigarettes, as well as unmarked sacks of dried tobacco—lacked the required Bureau of Internal Revenue tax stamps, graphic health warnings, and proper markings, with a total estimated value of P39.300 million.

As a result, warrants of seizure and detention were issued for violations of Republic Act No. 10643 (Graphic Health Warnings Law), Republic Act No. 10963 (TRAIN Law), and pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno cited the vigilance of the CIIS, ESS, MICP, and the Sub-Port of North Harbor, stressing that disciplined intelligence validation and rigorous inspection protocols remain central to the Bureau’s anti-smuggling efforts.