The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has finally disposed of the P75 million worth of smuggled cigarettes that were seized at the Mindanao Container Terminal last January, the agency said Tuesday, June 15.
Using a roller and a backhoe, a total of 135,700 reams of various cigarettes brands were crushed at the facility of the Terra Cycliq Corporation in Barangay Mantibugao, Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon on Monday, June 14.
According to the Port of Cagayan de Oro, the cigarettes--which had been loaded in three containers--came into the country through the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental on January 11, 2021. The shipment was declared as "kitchenware" and was consigned to Sixty Nine Enterprises.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) also helped in the destruction of the cigarettes by first spraying them with water. This softened the cigarettes and ensured that they would be useless after they were crushed.
The condemnation activity was witnessed by Deputy Collector for Operations-Mindanao International Container Terminal Noe Espenilla, Deputy Collector for Operations-Port of Cagayan de Oro Elizabeth Delas Llagas, and Intelligence Chief CDO Field Station Oliver Valiente.
Meanwhile, Port of Cagayan de Oro officials said they remain committed to the bureau's fight against smuggling through intensified border protection.