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Counterfeit goods, general merchandise, and cigarettes/tobacco were the top smuggled goods in terms of value seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the first quarter of 2021
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BOC had a total of 286 seizures of smuggled goods worth a combined total of P3.3 billion for the period
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Of the total, P2.616 billion worth of smuggled goods were seized through intelligence and enforcement operations while P684 million came from examination and port inspections
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BOC has issued 43 letters of authority and 75 alert orders
Counterfeit goods, general merchandise, and cigarettes/tobacco were the top smuggled goods in terms of value seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the first quarter of 2021.
In an accomplishment report for the period, BOC said it had a total of 286 seizures of smuggled goods worth a combined total of P3.3 billion.
Of the total, P2.616 billion worth of smuggled goods were seized through intelligence and enforcement operations, while P684 million came from examination and port inspections.
Counterfeit goods accounted for P1.625 billion of the total, followed by general merchandise with P851.750 million and cigarettes/tobacco with P537.346 million.
Illegal drugs were fourth with P87.303 million; personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and cosmetics were fifth with P52.503 million; while other products came in sixth with P44.498 million.
Other seized items and products were firearms (P40.107 million); used clothing (P27.007 million); agricultural products (P18.342 million); vehicles and accessories (P6.951 million); alcoholic beverages (P3.906 million); wildlife and natural resources (P3.72 million); electronics (P1.328 million); chemicals (P799,635); jewelry (P650,000); fuel and oil (P500,000); and currency (P144,120).
In terms of number of seizures in the first quarter, general merchandise topped with 49, followed by illegal drugs with 48, other products with 39, cigarettes/tobacco with 28, and agricultural products with 27.
BOC in the first quarter of 2021 issued 43 letters of authority (LOA) that resulted in the seizure of various smuggled items and products. Of the total, 37 LOAs were found to be positive and led to the issuance of warrants of seizure and detention.
BOC’s collection districts have also issued 75 alert orders against various shipments suspected to have violated customs rules and regulations, which led to 249 seizures of various smuggled items.
The customs bureau has also condemned various forfeited goods amounting to P763.42 million, which included counterfeit goods, cigarettes, agricultural products, food, raw products, poultry needs, automobiles, garments, mechanical and electrical goods, chemical goods, and scrap metal.
