P26-M smuggled cigarettes declared as plastic cups seized in Port of Davao
Close to 1,000 master cases of smuggled cigarettes worth P26 million were intercepted at the Port of Davao, the Bureau of Customs (BoC) said on Tuesday.

Instead of the declared plastic cups, the shipment was found to contain a total of 980 master cases of cigarettes bearing different brands such as More, Mighty, D&B, and Marvel cigarettes.
The shipment has an estimated value of P26,081,597.87.
According to the bureau, the illegal shipment was consigned to a certain Goldsmith Trading.
It was subjected to a 100 percent physical examination on September 18 after it was alerted for showing irregularities in the screening.
With the seizure, Port of Davao District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria reminded the public of the dangers of patronizing smuggled and fake tobacco products.
Austria also assured that the Port of Davao “shall continue to support efforts to prevent cigarette smuggling into the country as well as the proliferation of counterfeit tobacco products in the local markets.”
A warrant of seizure and detention was immediately issued for possible violation of Executive Order No. 245, also known as “Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Leaf Tobacco and Tobacco Products,” National Tobacco Administration (NTA) Memorandum Circular No. 03, series of 2004; NTA Board resolution No. 079-2005 and Sec. 155 of R.A. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines) in relation to Section 1113 (f) and Section 117 in connection with Section 1401 of Republic Act No. 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Austria attributed the seizure of the illegal shipment to the collective efforts of the Port of Davao’s Assessment Division, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, and Enforcement and Security Service.