WITH less than a week to go before the month is over, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) under Comm. Rey Leonardo ‘Jagger’ Guerrero, has so far chalked up more than P737 million in apprehended smuggled shipments, majority of them fake goods and cigarettes.
Based on the bureau’s records thus far, the latest apprehension was recorded by the Port of Davao under Coll. Dino Austria, consisting of P107.415 million of smuggled cigarettes.
The cigarettes, brought in by ‘Golden Aark Enterprises,’ arrived in two batches between July 10 and July 12, 2020.
They were immediately placed under alert by Austria after receiving derogatory information from the office of deputy commissioner for intelligence (DCI) Ranier Ramiro.
The next big shipment of cigarettes, worth more than P93 million, was apprehended last July 1, 2020 at the Port of Subic under Coll. Maritess Martin, also based on the information provided by Ramiro’s office.
The next day, July 2, 2020, at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), the Customs Police (ESS) under Dir. Yogi Ruiz and Enforcement Group deputy commissioner (DCE) Atty. Teddy Raval, also apprehended another shipment of cigarettes worth P32.7 million.
Another operation by the ESS in Santiago, Isabela on July 17, 2020, likewise resulted to the confiscation of fake cigarettes worth more than P2.6 million, bringing the total haul for fake and smuggled cigarettes at P235.715 million.
Atty. Vincent ‘Jett’ Maronilla, BOC spokesman, also pointed out that last May 31, 2020, customs agents raided and closed down an illicit cigarette-making facility at a warehouse in Naguilian, Isabela, where P1.3 billion of worth of cigarettes, machineries, fake tax stamps and other paraphernalia were seized.
Another major seizure of cigarettes worth P24 million was also recorded at the Sub-port of Dadiangas, General Santos City last June 3, Maronilla said.
“If we add all these successful operations, the BOC thus far has apprehended fake and smuggled cigarettes totaling more than P1.559 billion under Comm. Guerrero,” Maronilla added.
Aside from cigarettes, a successful raid by the IG at a warehouse in Tondo, Manila, last July 7, 2020, also resulted to the confiscation of smuggled counterfeit goods valued at over P500 million.
Over at the NAIA under Coll. Carmelita ‘Mimel’ Talusan, illegal drugs consisting of marijuana and shabu worth more than P2.1 million were also seized; luxury watches valued at P1.1 million and US$15,700 (or P787,000) cash were also apprehended this month.
The grand total thus far as the month of July ends is more than P737 million of smuggled goods, Maronilla further added.