Cebu: A joint operation led by the Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Port of Cebu has resulted in the interception of 11 40-foot container vans containing illicit cigarettes with an estimated value of PHP860 million.
According to Philippines News Agency, the operation stemmed from intelligence information that led to the initial discovery of two container vans loaded with cigarettes in Mandaue City on June 24. Authorities subsequently found six additional container vans at a container yard in Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City, and three more containers that had yet to be discharged from a private shipping facility in Mandaue City.
Initial investigation revealed that the shipments were being transported through domestic routes using a local shipping line for distribution. The Port of Cebu is currently coordinating with the officers of the shipping line to trace the origin and movement of the containers involved in this operation.
In a related development, the BOC also seized 23 containers of illicit cigarettes worth around PHP1.7 billion at a private wharf in Manila on Tuesday.
