(Eagle News)–Thirty-six million pesos worth of smuggled cigarettes have been seized at the port of Manila recently, the Bureau of Customs said.
The bureau said the fake cigarettes were seized from a 40-footer container on Aug. 28.
The shipment arrived on Aug. 25, and was declared as cable connectors.
The bureau said a pre-lodgement control order (PLCO) was issued against the shipment consigned to Trendlink Home Source Inc. on August 27 following a tip.
After a physical examination, the shipment was found to contain around 800 cases of cigarettes instead.
A representative of the tobacco company involved conducted an initial testing of a sample of the products, which were found to be counterfeit.
As a result, district collector Michael Angelo Vargas ordered the issuance of a warrant of Seizure and detention against the entire shipment for “Misdeclaration, Misclassification, and Undervaluation in Goods Declaration” in relation to Section 1113’s “Property Subject Seizure and Forfeiture” of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
“The BOC-Port of Manila, in coordination with the Intelligence Group and all its offices ensures that the Bureau remains steadfast in securing our country’s borders, following the mandates of Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero,” the bureau said.
