Ben Madilynn
AROUND 1,000 master cases of undocumented cigarettes were seized by the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (Nfem) along the shoreline of Davao Oriental.
On September 4, 2024, the Nfem, along with the National Task Force 71, 66th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) 19, confiscated 1,106 master cases of undocumented cigarettes valued at approximately P27.65 million.
“The Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao through Naval Task Force 71 utilizing NAVSOU 7 together with 66IB, Philippine Army and Bureau of Internal Revenue 19 conducted a Joint Law Enforcement Operations resulting to the seizure of undocumented cigarettes in the shoreline of Davao Oriental on September 4, 2024,” Nfem wrote in their Facebook post on September 7, 2024.
Authorities suspect the cigarettes were smuggled into the country but were intercepted in Davao Oriental. They were found inside two wing vans and a Jungkong-type banca.
The seized cigarettes were brought to Naval Station Felix Apolinario for accounting and documentation before being transferred to the BIR 19 Warehouse for proper disposal.
Earlier this year, on March 22, 2024, the Bureau of Customs-Davao Region (BOC-Davao) seized P4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Barangay Lacson, Calinan District, Davao City, during a checkpoint operation that uncovered 150 boxes containing a total of 7,500 reams.
Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Major General Leo Francisco on September 8, 2024, ordered a strengthened campaign against smuggled cigarettes, which have caused significant economic losses. Recent CIDG operations in Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, South Cotabato, North Cotabato, and Koronadal City led to the confiscation of over P5.6 million worth of smuggled cigarettes. RGP
