Customs seizes P27M worth of illegal cigarettes

ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Bureau of Customs (BoC) reported on Friday, February 2, the confiscation of over P27 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga and the arrest of nine crewmen of a speedboat during a patrol.

The January 26 seizure of the contraband and the boat FB JFM 2 by the BoC Water Patrol Division (WPD) together with Enforcement and Security Service-Customs Police Division and Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service was only made public on Friday.

Acting district collector Arthur Sevilla Jr. lauded the confiscation of the contraband and the filing of charges against the crewmen. However, the identities of the arrested crewmen and the owner of the 482 boxes of cigarettes were not disclosed.

Sevilla said the operatives, upon inspection of the boat, found it to be loaded with cigarettes.

“Upon demand, the arrested nine crew members failed to present pertinent documents to prove the legality of subject importation. Thereafter, the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company assisted the Bureau of Customs in maneuvering the boat and its cargo to their office address in the village of Baliwasan, where proper inventory was conducted,” Sevilla said.

The seized vessel and the cigarettes are now under the custody of the BoC pending seizure and forfeiture proceedings for the violation of Section 1113(a) of Republic Act 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) of 2016,” in relation to Section 117 and the Tobacco Exportation and Importation Rules and Regulations.

Sevilla did not say where the contraband came from or who was its consignee.