By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – About PHP1.8 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes and manufacturing materials and PHP760 million of illegal drugs have been confiscated as of March 2, Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said.
A major interdiction was carried out on Feb. 9 with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), leading to the interception of a shipment at the Manila International Container Port containing an estimated PHP272 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) misdeclared as “marble.”
The operation marks the largest drug haul recorded by the bureau so far this year.
The BOC also seized PHP634.858 million in smuggled cigarettes across Western Mindanao and Zamboanga City — the largest single-day cigarette-related crackdown since 2025.
Nepomuceno said that in 2025 alone, the BOC conducted 1,024 interdiction operations, including 143 drug seizures valued at PHP5.630 billion and 317 cigarette-related seizures amounting to PHP1.8 billion.
“Our personal relationships with other heads of agencies are very strong, and this is the main reason why inter-agency trust is now high and effective,” he said.
With the strengthened inter-agency coordination, the BOC and PDEA inked a memorandum of agreement on Feb. 26 establishing integrated databases, real-time information-sharing, and enhanced scanning and inspection protocols at ports of entry to ensure faster interdictions and seamless joint operations. (PNA)
