THE BUREAU of Customs (BOC) seized nearly P62 billion worth of illicit goods after conducting more than 1,000 anti-smuggling enforcement operations throughout 2025.
On Wednesday, January 14, the BOC said preliminary figures placed total seizures last year at about P61.71 billion from 1,024 enforcement operations carried out nationwide.
However, this was about P23.5 billion or 27-percent short of the record-high P85.167 billion in 2024.
For context, the agency conducted more operations in 2024, totaling 2,100.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the results were driven by three key factors: good governance reforms, stronger deterrence measures and closer coordination with other law enforcement agencies, including the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“We are working around the clock to earn back the public’s trust in the BOC. We are updating our capabilities so that we can better use information to stop and intercept illegal shipments,” Nepomuceno told the Inquirer.
“While we admit there is still much work left to be done to ensure honesty in every link of the supply chain, we believe the drop in volume suggests that we are moving in the right direction,” he added.
According to Jonathan Ravelas, senior adviser at Reyes Tacandong & Co., the drop does not necessarily indicate that smuggling networks have eased, but reflected a combination of tighter trade flows and more focused enforcement.
“It mainly reflects weaker import volumes last year, partly due to the rice import ban and global price volatility, which reduced opportunities for smugglers to move contraband,” he said.
Confiscated items
General commodities accounted for the largest share of seizures at P28.47 billion, followed by counterfeit goods worth P17.72 billion.
Authorities also confiscated P5.63 billion worth of illegal drugs, P4.8 billion in wildlife and natural resources, and P1.86 billion in tobacco products.
The agency also reported the seizure of over P622 million worth of smuggled agricultural goods in 85 operations.
The accreditations of 40 importers and 12 customs brokers have been revoked or suspended for violations of customs laws.
In addition, the Bureau of Customs filed 64 criminal cases with the Department of Justice, including 31 cases involving agricultural smuggling. Of these, 10 were filed under the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, while 21 involved violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Revenues
On the revenue side, the BOC generated P247.12 billion in tax revenues from 21.1 billion liters of fuel under its Fuel Marking Program, which aims to detect fuel smuggling, ensure transparency in fuel distribution and promote fair competition in the oil industry.
As the country’s second-largest tax collection agency, the BOC reported full-year revenues of P934.4 billion, falling short of its target of P958.7 billion.
In a high-profile restitution effort, the agency remitted P47.762 million to the Bureau of the Treasury from the auction of five motor vehicles recovered from the alleged corruption-laden Discaya family. (Nyah Genelle C. De Leon © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
