BY BETHEENA UNITE
Another attempt of an importer to smuggle P88.1-million cigarettes through the Port of Cebu was foiled anew after its two cigarette shipments were seized on separate occasions last month.
The Bureau of Customs (BoC) even found out that the P88.1-millon shipment, which came in two containers, arrived earlier than the two previously seized cargoes consigned to GRR Trading.
The two containers arrived at the Port of Cebu from China on separate dates– August 8 and 13– while the two previous shipments arrived on August 16 and 19.
A total of 1,726 master cases of Mighty, Fort, and Marvel cigarettes were found inside the two containers instead of the declared items: umbrella and various home furniture.
A 100-percent physical examination was conducted to reveal the smuggled items on September 1.
A warrants of seizure and detention against the shipments for violation of Section 1113 (f), (i), and (l) of Republic Act No. 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act was already issued against the shipment on September 2.
“Based on the Inward Foreign Manifest, the shipments were consigned to GRR Trading—the same importer whose recent shipments of misdeclared articles were previously seized by the Port after being found to contain master cases of cigarettes,” the Port of Cebu said.
The two previous seized shipments worth P54 million and P92 million were also sneaked in using the same manner of declaration.
Those shipments were declared as umbrellas, tables, cabinets, chairs, drawers, and lockers but contained otherwise. Cigarettes such as Astro, Jackpot, and Farstar were discovered inside the containers.
Enforcement and Security Service–Port of Cebu District Commander Jerry Arizabal said that “apparently, the modus operandi of the importer is blatant misdeclaration.” (Betheena Unite)
