ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Bureau of Customs, Port of Zamboanga has destroyed 5,624 master cases and 1.171 reams of assorted brands of smuggled cigarettes worth P323.59 million seized during a series of anti-smuggling operations in Zamboanga Peninsula and in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces.
BoC-Port of Zamboanga district collector Engr. Arthur G. Sevilla on Thursday disclosed that government agencies involved in the campaign against border control assisted the BoC in destroying the illicit tobacco product they seized from June to November this year.
The condemnation of smuggled cigarettes was conducted at a BoC-rented warehouse in Barangay Tetuan here on Thursday morning.
Among the smuggled cigarettes destroyed carried the brand name Absolute, Aries, Astro, B and R, Bros, Cannon, Champion, Delta, Famous, Fort, Green Hills, Nelson, New Berlin, New Far, President, Royal, San Diego, San Marino, Soda, Tradition, Union and President.
According to Sevilla, they seized the imported cigarettes for violation of Executive Order 245 or the "Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Tobacco and Tobacco Products" and Section 117 and 1113 paragraphs a and f and g of RA 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016.
He said all importers of imported tobacco leave products failed to present documents allowing them to import cigarettes from other countries in the southern Philippines.
The smuggled cigarettes were drenched in water by the Bureau of Fire Protection here and crushed by payloader equipment before they were disposed of in the sanitary landfill in Barangay Salaan.