ZAMBOANGA CITY (August 27, 2020) – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) sub-port in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi destroyed on Wednesday afternoon. August 26, about P3 million worth of smuggled imported cigarettes they seized on Sunday, August 23.
BOC Bongao, Tawi-Tawi sub-port collector Nurin H. Hakimin said today his office destroyed on Wednesday afternoon some P3 million worth of confiscated smuggled cigarettes.
Hakimin said the destruction of the illegal tobacco leave products were ordered him by BOC Zamboanga District Collector Segundo Barte, Jr. following the strict directive of BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero.
According to Barte Comm Guererro has kept on reminding him to destroyed immediately all ban and prohibited smuggled imported products particular cigarettes brought in by smugglers to Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi or ZamBaSulTa area.
Hakimin said his office destroyed about 100 master cases of Fort and Astro brands of cigarettes which they seized during their anti-smuggling operations in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi last Sunday, August 23.
He said the Zamboanga Peninsula inter-agency on anti-smuggling (ZPIAonAS) team has fully assisted them during the series of operation they conducted, Sunday.
The ZPIAonAS team is composed of the Bureau of Customs, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-9), and Police regional office in Zamboanga peninsula (PRO-9), the Armed Force of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR-9).
According to Hakimin, Barte has reminded him of the strict directive of BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero to destroyed all seized imported cigarettes immediately when possible.
Coll Barte said BOC Zamboanga district office has seized and destroyed a total of about P6.55 million worth of smuggled goods during the week.
Most of the seized goods h were imported cigarettes coming from Sandakan in Sabah Malaysia.
Barte said BOC in this city in tandem with the Port Management Office of Dapitan City intercepted 34 bales of used clothing’s also known as “ukay-ukay,” aboard MV Filipinas Maasin last August 20, 2020. The seized cargoes have an estimated value of P450 thousand.
BOC Intelligence group, together with partner agencies seized smuggled cigarettes and rice worth almost P1 million from a passenger vessel docked at Zamboanga International Port last August 19.
Among the items seized are undocumented 51 sacks of rice and 25 master cases of cigarettes with 86 reams, placed inside big wooden ice chests for concealment.
BOC- Zamboanga together with elements from the Anti-smuggling team also destroyed some 105 master cases of imported smuggled cigarettes worth P2.1 million last August 17, 2020 in Jolo, Sulu.
“All our actions sent a strong signal to smugglers in the region that we are serious in our campaign against smuggling of prohibited imported goods to the city coming from Sandakan, Malaysia, Barte said. Xxx (Nonoy E Lacson)
Photos shows the condemnation of cigarettes by Customs and witnessed by police and military authorities in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. Photo courtesy of BOC Bongao Tawi-Tawi. Xxx (Nonoy E Lacson)