THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized hundreds of boxes of imported cigarettes worth P15 million placed inside a 40-foot container van Wednesday, March 22, in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
BOC’s Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Teddy Raval said the shipment was declared by the consignee as disposable diapers.
“The manifest reflects [the cargo] containing disposable diaper but when we took the second and third layer, [we found boxes of cigarettes],” Raval said, adding the items came from Singapore.
During the opening of the container van at the Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) yard on Wednesday, customs officials showed to the media the boxes of cigarettes concealed by piles of diaper boxes.
The seized cigarette brands were identified as Septwolves and Farstar. The Septwolves have red packs and were marked with Chinese characters, while the Farstar cigarettes are contained in light green packs and have English markings.
Raval said it’s likely the seized cigarettes are not for Filipino consumption.
According to the information provided by the BOC to the media, the shipment arrived at the MCT sub-port last December 13, 2016, but when the consignee did not show up to file import entry, an alert order was issued by the agency prompting it to open the container.
MCT sub-port collector Samson Pacasum said the importer, identified as Black Petal Commercial based in Cagayan de Oro, was given the 15-day period to comply with the necessary documents but when it failed to do so, the alert order was given.
Raval said the consignee has violated provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act as well as rules and regulations of the National Tobacco Administration.
The seized items were forfeited in favor of the government, he said.
Alvin Enciso, chief of BOC-Northern Mindanao’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, said there were about 700 cigarette boxes that were confiscated.
Enciso said it’s probable the cigarettes are intended for the Chinese nationals living in the country who prefer to smoke their own brands.
He said the cigarettes are of premium quality and could be sold for P500 to P600 a pack in the local market.
The Black Petal Commercial has yet to issue a statement to the media explaining their side.
