Instead of plastic cups and fabrics, smuggled cigarettes worth P96.6 million were discovered in four containers from Cambodia and China at the Port of Davao, the Bureau of Customs said Thursday.
A total of 3,628 boxes of various cigarettes brands were found in the shipments which came from separate countries but consigned to a lone importer.
According to the bureau, the shipment from Cambodia was only declared as 3,015 boxes of various fabrics while the shipment from China was declared to contain 910 boxes of plastic cups.
Both shipments were consigned to Allycorp International Inc. and have an exact value of P96,698,298.81.
Port of Davao District Collector Erastus Sandino Austria said they were able to intercept the shipments and prevented its entry to the domestic market through“advance information from intelligence sources.”
It triggered them to issue an alert order against the shipments, he added. Customs agents then conducted a 100-percent physical examination on the shipments which led to the discovery of the misdeclared cigarettes.
“Customs Davao's active alert monitoring procedure against illegal importations in collaboration with partner agencies remains vital in securing our area of responsibility,” Austria said.
Twin warrants of seizure and detentions against the the shipments were also issued for violating Section 1400, Section 117 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and Executive Order No.245.
The Port of Davao also seized P26-million worth of various brand cigarettes last September 28, 2020, marking a total estimated value of P302,235,163.06 on top of the other cigarette apprehensions of Collection District XII.