Customs and Navy Pull Off Massive 24-Hour Smuggling Blitz in Western Mindanao — ₱634.9 Million in Contraband Seized
The Bureau of Customs just pulled off one of its biggest enforcement operations ever — a coordinated 24-hour blitz across Western Mindanao that dismantled multiple smuggling networks and seized ₱634.9 million worth of contraband, from illicit cigarettes to secret manufacturing equipment.
The operation started on February 24 when customs intelligence flagged a bulk carrier called the Sun Voyage for suspicious ship-siding activities in the Celebes Sea. Working with the Philippine Navy's Western Mindanao Naval Command, authorities intercepted the vessel 52 nautical miles west of Kalamansig Port in Sultan Kudarat and found 3,000 master cases of illicit cigarettes worth ₱367.2 million — with zero documentation.
Simultaneously, investigators raided a warehouse inside the Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Authority that turned out to be a clandestine cigarette manufacturing hub. The raid uncovered ₱170 million worth of dismantled cigarette-making machines, industrial chemicals, and raw materials. The warehouse operators couldn't produce a single tax compliance document.
That same night, CIIS operatives in Zamboanga got suspicious of a shipment declared as 'seaweed' — because of its unusual weight. A physical examination revealed 336 master cases of Black Hawk cigarettes concealed inside sacks, worth ₱41.126 million. The next morning, the Navy intercepted another motor banca carrying 459 master cases of Cannon cigarettes worth ₱56.531 million.
Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno credited the success to 'heightened vigilance and coordinated execution' between customs and military partners. The simultaneous disruption of sea routes, freeport facilities, and cargo channels has significantly crippled smuggling logistics in the region. Hindi na kayo makakalusot.
Source: Manila Bulletin
