BOC seizes motor launch bearing 139-M smuggled cigarettes

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) against a wooden motor lunch and its 3,474 master cases of smuggled imported cigarettes worth 1139 Million.

Zamboanga City BOC District Collector Segundo Barte said they issued the WSD on Friday against the M/L Zeyana and its 3,474 muster cases of illicit tobacco products worth 1138,960 million.

Barte issued a WSD against M/L Zeyana and its illicit cargo for violation of Executive Order No. 245 titled Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Leaf Tobacco and Tobacco Products and Section 117 of RA 10863 otherwise known as Customs Modernization and Tariff Act or CMTA.

Barte said BOC operatives in coordination with operatives from the Naval Forces in Western Mindanao (NaForWeM) special operations group (SOG) apprehended vessel and the smuggled goods at the sea waters of Siasi in Sulu.

The BOC district collector here said elements of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (BOC-CIIS) and Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) field offices in Zamboanga City, in tandem with NaForWeM-SOG, successfully intercepted the wooden cargo vessel coming from Indonesia and bound for Siasi, Sulu on Monday, June 1.

Barte said the combined operatives spotted the vessel few miles away from the port of Siasi in Sulu.

The operative immediately approached and cordon the vessel and conducted a preliminary inspection of its cargoes and importation permit, the customs collector here said.

After the crew of the vessel failed to show pertinent papers to the authorities, the NaForWeM-SOG operatives immediately towed the vessel to Zamboanga City.

This developed as BOC Operations Officer 1 Mike Lanza said BOC inventory team completed on Friday the inventory of the apprehended smuggled cigarettes at Ensign Majini port of the Philippine Navy in this city.

“We conducted a stricter accounting and inspection of the seized contraband in the presence of representatives from the NaForWeM-SOG and we completed the inventory today,” he said.

Lanza claimed most of the imported cigarettes caried the brand of Cannon Menthol cigarettes, and described the packaging as very identical to the genuine Cannon Menthol cigarettes.

Barte continued to encourage civilians to report to his office arrival of imported goods in the Zamboanga City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (ZamBaSulTa) area in order proper action can be taken by his operatives.