BOC: Heads to roll over resale of seized cigarettes

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will cooperate with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)’s probe into the alleged attempt to resell the P270 million worth of contraband cigarettes seized in Capas, Tarlac last Feb. 20.

The BOC warned that “heads will roll” after the NBI said it is suspecting that Customs personnel are involved in the foiled racket.

“I already instructed the Intelligence Group’s Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service to look into this matter and report to me immediately. The NBI has our full cooperation and I promise that anyone found involved in this will be held accountable. Heads will roll,” BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said in a statement.

“We are an open book. Anything the NBI needs from us, we’ll be committed and eager to provide access to them,” he added.

It was reported that two men, not from the BOC, were arrested for their alleged involvement in the scheme.

The alleged smuggled cigarettes were supposed to have been destroyed by Hazchem North, the waste disposal company contracted to dispose of the cigarettes.

This was reportedly the same company whose owner the NBI said allegedly ordered his environmental consultant to find a buyer for the goods.

“Our coordination with the NBI has always been one of the reasons our operations have been successful. If the investigation targets someone from our team, that’s all the more reason we should work together with the NBI to get to the bottom of this and hold people accountable,” Rubio said

Port of Subic acting district collector Marlon Fritz Broto said that upon receiving the report, the Office of the District Collector immediately directed the acting chief of the Auction and Cargo Disposal Unit to form a team and coordinate with the NBI and the local government unit “to provide clarity” on the seized cigarettes.

The shipments arrived between July 2021 and June 2022 at the Port of Subic. They were reportedly abandoned and immediately seized and referred for disposal in 2023.

“Once the bond was settled, the process began and the condemnation started last Jan. 6 and again on Feb. 9, when the last three containers were transported to the said facility,” he said.

Broto cited the results of their investigation which showed the sting operations by the NBI occurred “during a shift change for ACDU, ESS and CIIS Port of Subic Customs personnel guarding the condemnation process.”

He also noted that the condemnation of the containers “occurred within the regulatory period.”

Of the five containers, the contents of which were all later found to be allegedly smuggled, four were originally consigned to Hongcim International Corp. and one was consigned to Proline Logistics Philippines Inc.