MANILA – The Bureau of Customs held misdeclared cigarettes from China worth P18.5 million at the Manila International Container Port.
The shipment was declared as 890 cartons of industrial artificial fur texture but was later discovered to contain 914 cartons of assorted cigarettes.
Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña inspected the 40-foot container laden with the items on Monday.
The shipment – consigned to Marid Industrial Marketing at 2090 Batangas Line, Paco, Manila – included cartons of cigarette brands Jackpot, Fortune, John, Marvels, and U2, Lapeña said in a statement.
“I would advise our kababayan to be very cautious of counterfeit [items] because [these] might be hazardous to health,” he said.
On April 10 agents from the X-ray Inspection Project found irregularities on the X-ray image, prompting recommendation to alert the shipment.
The branded cigarettes arrived from China on April 4 and processed by Customs broker Carme Ann Rollon, with office address at Cluster 3, Unit 3-1 Numancia Residences, Urbiztondo St., San Nicolas, Manila.
The shipment will undergo seizure and forfeiture proceedings for violation of Section 1400 (Misdeclaration, Misclassification and Undervaluation in Goods Declaration) of Republic Act 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Lapeña said the accreditation of the importer and Customs broker will be revoked or suspended accordingly. (PNA)
