The Bureau of Customs (BOC) recently intercepted P58.450 million worth of cigarettes—some believed to be counterfeit and some smuggled into the Philippines—in Caloocan City.
BOC together with the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police, and agents of Barangay 168 in Caloocan uncovered 1,670 mastercases of cigarettes from nine trucks parked in the barangay on January 27.
The products consist of brands such as Marvels, Fortune, D&B, Mighty and Jackpot. BOC said the cigarette brands are believed to have a big market share in provinces where they are usually sold to unsuspecting patrons.
Further investigation is being conducted to ferret out those responsible for the operation, BOC said.
Last year, BOC made 79 apprehensions of cigarettes and tobacco products with an estimated value of P2.678 billion. Just last January 18, BOC raided a warehouse in Nueva Ecija suspected of being the base of clandestine operations for the manufacture of counterfeit cigarettes. The agency seized counterfeit cigarettes of various brands with an estimated value of P1 billion.
