Eight containers of seized smuggled cigarettes worth P374 million were disposed of in Cebu City recently, the Bureau of Customs said Tuesday.
The smuggled cigarettes were condemned at the destruction facility of Pinoy Basurero Corporation/Arn Central Waste Management Inc. in Barangay Binaliw, Talamban, Cebu City.
Deputy Collector for Operations Marc Anthony Patriarca and Auction and Cargo Disposal Unit Chief Engr. Ronald Morillo supervised the condemnation process.
Representatives from Japan Tobacco Inc. and Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. also witnessed the condemnation process.
“Our standing order from Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero is to immediately dispose of seized goods to prevent port congestion, avoid pilferage, and generate additional revenues for the government,” said Acting District Collector Charlito Martin Mendoza.
He also noted that the careful planning and execution of the condemnation followed Customs rules while complying with existing environmental protocols.
The port’s Enforcement and Security Service, Port Operations Division, and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, together with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police provided the security during the condemnation and transport of the eight containers from the port to the destruction facility, Mendoza said.
"The eight containers of smuggled counterfeit cigarettes were apprehended through joint anti-smuggling operations of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), X-Ray Inspection Project Team (XIP) and Assessment Division," Mendoza said.