MANILA, Philippines — Various boxes of smuggled imported cigarettes worth more than P605 million were seized on Wednesday morning, August 27, at a warehouse in Barangay Bulihan, Plaridel, Bulacan.
According to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, the imported cigarettes, namely Bros, Modern, New Berlin, Commando, Nelson, Nise Menthol, and Nise Baisha, had markings from Vietnam and China.
However, the cigarette packs were found without tax stamps from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and required graphic health warnings from the Department of Health (DOH).
Additionally, authorities found 8,647 boxes, or an equivalent to 86,470,000 sticks of imported cigarettes inside a 40-foot container van and Building A-6 of the Philippine Asia Corp. Some of the cigarettes were being sold in Central Luzon at P7 per stick.
During the operation, BOC staff arrested Randy Guevarra Ngo, a Filipino-Chinese, who was warehouse renter, along with driver Benjie Buenafe Diocades and helper Joan Pagkalivagan.
According to reports, authorities had already located the warehouse on August 22, which led to the raid on Wednesday, August 27.
Nepomuceno said the operation was in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to prevent illegal cigarettes from entering legitimate trade routes and to safeguard public welfare.
Customs officials are preparing to conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for the illicit shipment.
