The Bureau of Customs (BOC) recently intercepted a shipment of smuggled cigarettes worth P120 million in Tawi-Tawi.
The smuggled shipment attempted to enter the country through a vessel from Indonesia, the bureau said Thursday, Nov. 12.
Authorities were able to prevent the shipment from entering the country on Nov. 6 through Mindanao, its so-called “backdoor,” after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen.
According to authorities from the Port of Zamboanga, the operation stemmed from a call received from a concerned citizen about a certain vessel allegedly carrying smuggled cigarettes.
“This prompted Customs Zamboanga to conduct an operation vis-a-vis M/L Nur 1, which was then departing from Indonesia en route to Indanan, Sulu,” the bureau said.
The shipment was intercepted in Taganak Island, Tawi Tawi. Upon inspection, authorities found around 3,000 boxes of undocumented cigarettes in the vessel.
The seized goods shall undergo proper disposition procedure pursuant to Customs laws, the bureau said.
A warrant of seizure and detention will be issued against the subject goods for lack of permit from the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) and for violation of the Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Tobacco and Tobacco Products pursuant to Executive Order No. 245, as well as violations of R.A 8424 known as National Internal Revenue Code of the Philippines and Section 1401 of R.A 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
The operation, the Customs bureau said, was in collaboration with the Naval Intelligence and Security Unit (NISU) Zamboanga, Naval Forces Western Mindanao, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, Philippine Marines, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and other intelligence operatives.
The operation, the bureau added, is part of its “ultimate goal of erasing the stigma of Mindanao being the country’s backdoor for smuggling operations.”