BOC must catch agents recycling smuggled cigarettes
The government must prosecute and not just fire Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel allegedly behind the foiled attempt to resell P270 million worth of smuggled cigarettes that authorities had seized in previous operations, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Tuesday.
“I fully support the call for heads to roll. Those behind this blatant act of corruption must be unmasked and held accountable,” the chair of the Senate ways and means committee said.
Gatchalian earlier revealed that the government’s excise tax collection had dropped by over P40 billion from 2021 to 2024 due to the proliferation of smuggled tobacco products.
He urged the BOC and National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a thorough investigation into the supposed attempt of some individuals to pilfer the confiscated cigarettes that were supposed to be destroyed at a waste disposal facility in Capas, Tarlac province.
Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said they were already looking into reports that some erring BOC agents were involved in the illegal activity.
