P860-M illicit cigarettes seized in Mandaue City

Authorities seized on Wednesday 11 cargo containers loaded with illicit cigarettes worth an estimated P860 million in Cebu, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said.

In a statement on Thursday, the BOC said the operation stemmed from intelligence information that led authorities to intercept two 40-foot containers carrying cigarettes in Mandaue City.

It added that information obtained from the drivers subsequently led to a container yard in Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City, where six more cargo containers filled with cigarettes were discovered.

Investigators later learned from representatives of the trucking company that three additional containers had yet to be unloaded from a private shipping facility in Mandaue City.

When inspected, these were confirmed to also contain cigarettes, bringing the total number of seized containers to 11.

Initial investigation showed the shipments were being transported through domestic routes using a local shipping line for distribution, according to the BOC.

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Joint operation

The seizure was made during a joint operation involving the BOC-Port of Cebu, Philippine Coast Guard, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police and Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the BOC would continue its crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade.