Agents of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized over P256 million worth of suspected smuggled tobacco products and cigarette-making machines in a raid in a warehouse in Cavite.
BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said the operation in Barangay De Ocampo in Trece Martirez on Tuesday, June 28, also led to the arrest of four Chinese nationals.
Guerrero said they immediately launched the operation with operatives from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after confirming the information regarding the smuggling of tobacco products.
The official said the raiding team found raw materials for making cigarette products such as tobacco filler, filter paper, and paper rod, amounting to P105 million.
“The cigarette-making machines there, together with the raw tobacco materials, can produce 50 to 100 cases of cigarettes per day. That’s around P5 million worth of cigarettes in daily production,” said Guerrero.
Also found were a filter maker, two cigarette makers, and six packing machines worth P75 million; four boxes of tax stamps worth P18 million each for a total of P72 million; and 81 master cases of Marvels cigarettes worth P50,000 each for a total of P4.05 million.