(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Customs in Zamboanga City has destroyed P50 million worth of smuggled cigarettes.
In a statement, the bureau said the 1,278 master cases and 513 reams were seized in separate anti-smuggling operations since December 2020.
This is the first condemnation activity of the bureau’s Zamboanga port in 2021, after the three condemnation activities in 2020.
The previous year’s condemnation activities resulted in the destruction and disposal of P254 million worth of fake cigarettes, P1.5 million worth of raw materials, and P183 million worth of counterfeit internal revenue stamps.
The P50 million worth of smuggled cigarettes were disposed of in a sanitary landfill in Barangay Salaan.
The bureau said the activity was witnessed by representatives of the local government unit, heads of partner law enforcement agencies, and representatives from the Commission on Audit and from the Department of Health, among others.
