BOC says it has seized over P10 billion worth of illegal cigarettes so far

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) have so far seized P10 billion worth of illegal cigarettes that were being smuggled into the country following intensified operations.

"Ang halaga po, ang market value kapag pinagsamasama natin ang lahat ng nahuli natin, mahigit P10 billion na po 'yun. Hindi po biro 'yan. Napakalaking negosyo po niyan. Kahit mahuli niyo sila nang sunod-sunod, makalusot lang sila ng isa, bawiin na naman nila 'yan," said Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

(The amount, the market value if we combine everything we've intercepted, that's already over P10 billion. That's no joke. That is a massive business. Even if you catch them repeatedly, if they manage to slip just one [shipment] through, they'll make all that [profit] back.)

The BOC said that illicit cigarettes are usually smuggled via international ports. However, the crackdowns have pushed the illegal operators to switch to local manufacturing.

"Sa mahigit P10 bilyon na 'yan, pinaghalo-halo na diyan 'yung talagang pumasok sa international ports. Ayan po ang hinaharang BOC. Kaya lang nu'ng pinaghuhuli na naman sila sa international ports, nag-divert naman sila nu'ng bandang October last year, nag-manufacture naman sila sa lokal. Illegal din ho 'yun....Pero napahuli din natin sila, napaulat naman 'yan, 'yung mga factories na ilegal sa parteng Tarlac, Pampanga," said Nepomuceno.

(Out of that over P10 billion, it already includes what actually entered through international ports, which is what the BOC blocks. However, when they kept getting caught at international ports, they diverted around October last year and manufactured locally instead. That's also illegal.... But we managed to catch them too; those illegal factories in parts of Tarlac and Pampanga were reported.)

The bureau also noted that smugglers have also resorted to using more "backdoors" in the country to carry illicit cigarettes.

"Ngayon dinamihan naman nila 'yung pagpasok sa backdoors na tinatawag. Ayan 'yung Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, at gumawi na rin sila sa parteng Mindoro, Batangas, hanggang Navotas, Tondo," said Nepomuceno.

(Now, they have been using backdoors more in trying to enter the country. Those are Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and they have also shifted towards parts of Mindoro, Batangas, all the way to Navotas and Tondo.)

Authorities earlier seized alleged smuggled foreign-brand cigarettes worth around P234.3 million in the waters off Lutangan Island in Olutangan, Zamboanga Sibugay.

The BOC said that it is working with the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy in dealing with smugglers using backdoors. —KG, GMA News