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Bureau of Customs seized an estimated P9.75 billion worth of smuggled goods in 2020
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Of the total, P5.22 billion are from seizures of cigarettes and tobacco, P1.85 billion from drugs seizures, and P1.02 billion from seized counterfeit items
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From January 1 to December 28 last year, BOC filed 74 criminal complaints against 268 suspected smugglers, and another 52 administrative cases
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As of December 4, 2020, BOC also ordered closure of 20 customs-bonded warehouses and 40 members of customs common bonded warehouses for various violations
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized an estimated P9.746 billion worth of smuggled goods in 2020, of which over half of the amount is accounted for by illicit tobacco products.
Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, said BOC apprehended smuggled cigarettes and other tobacco products in 150 out of the 792 operations conducted in various ports in 2020.
“For the anti-smuggling effort of the BOC, the consolidated estimated value of seized shipments last year is P9.746 billion, of which P5.217 billion are from seizures of cigarettes and tobacco, P1.85 billion are from drugs seizure and P1.02 billion from counterfeit items,” Guerrero said during a recent executive committee meeting of the Department of Finance.
The confiscated tobacco products made up 53.5% of the total amount of goods seized by BOC during this period, Guerrero said.
Aside from tobacco products and illegal drugs, about P32.59 million in various types of currencies were seized from January to December 2020.
General merchandise worth P403.89 million, vehicles and automobile accessories valued at P354.53 million, and agricultural products amounting to about P207.7 million were also apprehended.
BOC also seized personal protective equipment, medical supplies and cosmetics, P195.57 million; jewelry and other products, P69 million; foodstuff, P212 million; used clothing, P130.59 million; electronics goods, P31.07 million; steel products, P4.76 million; alcoholic beverages, P2.43 million; chemicals, P5 million; and firearms, P300,000.
From January 1 to December 28 last year, Guerrero said BOC filed 74 criminal complaints before the Department of Justice against 268 respondents suspected of smuggling, and another 52 administrative cases before the Professional Regulation Commission.
As of December 4, 2020, BOC has also ordered the closure of 20 customs-bonded warehouses (CBWs) and 40 members of customs common bonded warehouses (CCBWs) for various violations, Guerrero said.
“In 2020, the BOC already completed the inspection and investigation of a total of 150 customs bonded warehouses and 247 members of CCBWs,” Guerrero said.
