BOC starts 2022 smuggling campaign on high note
Smuggled cigarettes, drugs, seized in Davao, CdeO, Clark
THE Bureau of Customs started its anti-smuggling campaign for the year with seizures of smuggled cigarettes in Cagayan de Oro and Davao and the arrest of an illegal drugs recipient in another successful ‘controlled delivery operation’ in Quezon City.
Based on intelligence information provided by the office of Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence (DCI) Ranier Ramiro, Cagayan de Oro district collector, Atty. Elvira Cruz said that another shipment of cigarettes from China declared as ‘used furniture’ and worth P8 million was seized at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental last January 20, 2022.
The seizure stemmed from the information relayed by the Intelligence Group on Jan. 10, 2022, alerting the Port of Cagayan De Oro (CDO) Field Station under Oliver Valiente for possible smuggling attempts at the Mindanao Container Terminal.
Based on its inward foreign manifest, the shipment arrived on January 14, 2022 from China consigned to ‘UHE Trading’ and was declared as “used furniture.”
However, on actual physical inspection, the shipment turned out to actually contain ‘YS’ brand cigarettes.
Cruz noted that it was the second attempt at cigarette smuggling that they have foiled since January 6 at the Mindanao Container Terminal.
At the Port of Davao, District Collector Atty. Erastus Sandino ‘Dino’ Austria, last January 18, 2022, also announced the seizure of smuggled cigarettes worth P28.87 million (see also Pinoy Exposé article of January 19, 2022).
Also acting on information provided by Ramiro’s office, Austria reported they seized the smuggled cigarettes declared as “1,077 packages of assorted items such as plastic washbasins, plastic chairs, drainer baskets, and bond papers.”
However, the actual physical inspection resulted to the discovery of 1,000 master cases of ‘Tow Moon’ cigarettes and 20 master cases of ‘Fort Menthol’ cigarettes.
Austria said the shipment, consigned to Essafrank Consumer Goods Trading,’ had already been seized in favor of the government while appropriate charges are now being readied against those behind the smuggling attempt.
At the Port of Clark, District Collector Alexandra Lumontad reported to Comm. Rey Leonardo Guerrero the successful interdiction of a drug shipment from the Netherlands worth P5.2 million and the arrest of its recipient during a controlled delivery operation in Quezon City
Lumontad said that the shipment, consisting of 3,054 pieces of ‘Ecstasy’ pills from Zaandam, Netherlands, arrived last January 20, 2022, declared as consisting of “Solar Lights for Home Use.”
After careful scrutiny by members of the Customs Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force (CAIDTF), authorities discovered six plastic pouches containing the illegal drugs.
In coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a controlled delivery of the contraband was conducted two days later, January 22, 2022, that led to the arrest of the yet-to-be-named recipient in Quezon City.
