Confiscated smuggled cigarettes worth P5.3 million were destroyed recently by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Sub-port of Puerto Princesa to prevent their pilferage and unauthorized sale.
According to the BOC in the city, Puerto Princesa port collector Gladys Fontanilla-Estrada led the operations from August 16-18 of 207 boxes and 3,507 reams of smuggled cigarettes in the presence of the 2nd Special Operations Unit-Maritime Group (2nd SOU-MG), Coast Guard District Palawan (CGDPal), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Palawan.
The BOC’s local office said that in accordance with Sections 1146 and 1148 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and at the recommendation of the Condemnation Committee, which was chaired by Deputy Collector Filemon L. Mendoza Jr. and Auction and Cargo Disposal Unit Chief Jeremias C. Leao, the shipments were torn to shreds and submerged in water at the Palawan Flora and Fauna Watershed Reserve in Irawan, Puerto Princesa City.
The shipment had previously been ordered forfeited to the government by District Collector Ma. Rhea M. Gregorio for breaking customs laws, rules, and regulations.
Estrada reassured the public that they would continue to bolster border security to stop the entry of illegal goods into the country and urged them not to buy these items because they hurt both the national economy and legitimate businesses.
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