A TOP official of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said they are set to disposed some P15 million worth of confiscated smuggled cigarettes.

BOC District Collector Halleck Valdez said the cigarettes consisted of 1,500 boxes that were confiscated by the anti-smuggling task force of the agency since January in Zamboanga City.

Valdez is just waiting for the recommendation of the board he formed to assess the quality of confiscated smuggled cigarettes for disposition.

The board is composed of representatives from the Department of Health, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and local BOC office.

Valdez said the confiscated cigarettes, which came from abroad, are classified as contraband and “it cannot be bid out, it has to be destroyed.”

He added most likely the confiscated smuggled cigarettes will be discarded on the first week of March.

The BOC official said they have also seized last week 392 boxes of counterfeit cigarettes in Zamboanga city.

The agency have yet to assess the market value of the seized counterfeit cigarettes. (SunStar Philippines)