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Manila Bulletin

Philippines

P88.1-M smuggled cigarettes seized by Customs at Port of Cebu

Philippines

P88.1-M smuggled cigarettes seized by Customs at Port of Cebu

The Bureau of Customs seized two containers of smuggled cigarettes valued at P88.1 million at the Port of Cebu from an importer whose two shipments were earlier seized for misdeclaration.

(BOC / MANILA BULLETIN)

The BoC said these two containers from China consigned to GRR Trading arrived at the Port of Cebu on Aug. 8 and 13 and the two others arrived on Aug. 16 and 19.

A total of 1,726 master cases of Mighty, Fort, and Marvel cigarettes were found inside the two containers instead of the declared items umbrella and various home furniture.

A 100 percent physical examination was conducted and revealed the smuggled items on Sept. 1.

A warrants of seizure and detention against the shipments for violation of Section 1113 (f), (i), and (l) of Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act has been issued against the shipment on Sept. 2.

“Based on the Inward Foreign Manifest, the shipments were consigned to GRR Trading – the same importer whose recent shipments of misdeclared articles were previously seized by the Port after being found to contain master cases of cigarettes,” the Port of Cebu said.

The two later shipments worth P54 million and P92 million from GRR Trading had earlier been seized and were sneaked in using the same manner of declaration. These were declared as umbrellas, tables, cabinets, chairs, drawers, and lockers but were found to contain cigarettes such as Astro, Jackpot, and Farstar.

“Apparently, the modus operandi of the importer is blatant misdeclaration,” Enforcement and Security Service-Port of Cebu District commander Jerry Arizabal said.

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