Manila Bulletin
Philippines
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P1.7-B 'smuggled' cigarette shipment intercepted in Manila – PCG
Philippines
National
P1.7-B 'smuggled' cigarette shipment intercepted in Manila – PCG
P1.7-B 'smuggled' cigarette shipment intercepted in Manila – PCG
Published Jun 23, 2026 04:45 pm
At A Glance
- Government forces led by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Customs (BOC), National Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) seized about P1.7 billion worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes during a joint operation in Tondo, Manila, it was disclosed on June 23.
- Authorities intercepted 23 of 24 tracked containers linked to a shipment that originated from Cebu and arrived in Manila via the cargo vessel ASC BIG BOY, later found distributed across warehouses, a shipping facility, and the vessel itself.
- The Bureau of Customs said the cargo was misdeclared and lacked required tax stamps, indicating possible illicit cigarette trade, while one container remains missing as investigations and charges are being prepared.
Officials from the Bureau of Customs, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) inspect container vans loaded with allegedly smuggled cigarettes worth an estimated P1.7 billion at Pier 18 in Vitas, Tondo, Manila on June 23, 2026. (Photo: John Louie Abrina | MANILA BULLETIN)
Combined forces from various government agencies intercepted an estimated P1.7 billion worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes in a joint operation in Tondo, Manila, it was announced on Tuesday, June 23.
Twenty-three containers out of 24 tracked were seized by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Customs (BOC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in an industrial compound in Pier 21 along Vitas Street, where containers reportedly landed after being transported from Cebu.
PCG personnel joined the enforcement team in securing the area at about 8:28 p.m. on Monday, June 22, during the conduct of inspection procedures on the cargo.
Initial investigation showed that the shipment arrived in Manila through a cargo vessel identified as “ASC BIG BOY”. The cargo was traced from Pier 7 in Cebu before being transported to a private facility in Tondo.
The BOC said the shipment was allegedly misdeclared as consumer goods and passed through private wharves, raising suspicion among enforcement agencies monitoring cargo movements between key ports.
Of the 24 tracked containers, 16 were found in a shipping facility in Manila, while four remained aboard the vessel under PCG custody. Another four had already been moved to warehouses.
Authorities later recovered three of the four containers that had been distributed, but one container remains missing as of latest verification, the Customs said.
Initial inspection showed that the cigarettes bore no required tax stamps, a violation that points to possible breaches of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and the National Internal Revenue Code.
The BOC said the absence of tax stamps is a key indicator of illicit cigarette trade, which deprives the government of excise tax revenues and undermines regulated trade channels.
PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the operation highlighted the PCG’s continuing support for interagency enforcement against smuggling.
“We remain steadfast in our mandate to safeguard the country's maritime domain and support whole-of-government efforts to combat transnational and economic crimes,” she said.
The joint task force said it was conducting a full inventory and valuation of the seized goods. They were also validating shipping records and tracking individuals or groups behind the movement of the cargo across Cebu and Manila.
Investigators are preparing possible charges against those linked to the shipment as documentation and custody checks continue across affected warehouses and port facilities.