BOC seizes P2.56B in cigarettes, drugs as crackdown intensifies

The Bureau of Customs reported that it confiscated P1.8 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes and cigarette manufacturing materials and P760 million worth of dangerous drugs as of 2 March 2026.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said that in 2025 alone, the bureau conducted 1,024 interdiction operations. These included 143 drug seizures valued at P5.630 billion and 317 cigarette-related seizures amounting to P1.8 billion.

The figures, he said, reflect sustained efforts to curb smuggling and protect lawful trade.

Nepomuceno attributed the results to stronger inter-agency cooperation and enhanced data-sharing, citing close collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, Armed Forces of the Philippines and other partner agencies.

“Our personal relationships with other heads of agencies are very strong, and this is the main reason why inter-agency trust is now high and effective,” Nepomuceno said.

The BOC and PDEA formalized a strategic partnership through a memorandum of agreement signed on 26 February. The agreement establishes integrated databases, real-time information-sharing and enhanced scanning and inspection protocols at ports of entry to allow faster interdictions and more seamless joint operations.

The bureau also reported a large-scale operation in Western Mindanao and Zamboanga City that resulted in the confiscation of P634.858 million worth of smuggled cigarettes. Officials described it as the largest single-day cigarette-related crackdown since 2025.

The operation, carried out by BOC intelligence and enforcement units, forms part of what the agency called a sustained campaign to dismantle smuggling networks and combat the proliferation of illicit tobacco products that undermine public health and deprive the government of revenues.

On 9 February 2026, Customs, in coordination with PDEA, intercepted a shipment at the Manila International Container Port containing an estimated P272 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu. The shipment had been misdeclared as “marble.”

Nepomuceno said the bureau will continue to tighten port monitoring and strengthen coordination with partner agencies to prevent the entry of contraband into the country.