Close to 80,000 reams of cigarettes valued at P50 million smuggled into the country from China were destroyed in Misamis Oriental recently.
The Bureau of Customs said these were disposed of by the Port of Cagayan de Oro thru crushing inside a warehouse facility in Opol.
According to the bureau, the destroyed cigarettes were from the shipments consigned to Dong Yin Industrial Supplies and Fern Freight Enterprises.
Dong Yin Industrial Supplies’ shipment arrived last June 9 at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental which were declared only as disposable cups while Fern Freight Enterprises’ arrived at the same container terminal last May 14 and was only declared to contain office furnitures.
The shipments were seized and subjected for forfeiture due to their violations.
District Collector John Simon during the condemnation of the seized smuggled cigarettes has vowed to continue going after consignees who attempt to evade Customs duties through smuggling.
The Accounts Management Office (AMO) has revoked the accreditation of both consignees for violation of Customs rules and regulations.
A team from the port’s Enforcement and Security Services, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, and personnel from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Northern Mindanao led the condemnation of the cigarettes.
Simon said the Port of Cagayan de Oro also destroyed 18,000 reams of smuggled cigarettes last Sept. 9.