THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated more than P2.3 billion worth of smuggled goods, including illegal drugs, from July to August this year.
In a statement Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the BOC carried out 128 enforcement operations during the period in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to crush smuggling.
Among the items seized were P1.23 billion worth of illegal drugs; P929 million worth of illicit cigarettes, tobacco and vape products; and P178 million worth of agricultural goods.
Nepomuceno said the anti-drug campaign was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group and other law enforcement units.
On July 17, Nepomuceno led the inspection of a shipment at the Manila International Container Port that yielded 110.24 kilos of shabu worth P749.63 million. It was among the largest drug seizures this year.
On Aug. 22, a warehouse raid in Plaridel, Bulacan resulted in the seizure of P605.29 million worth of smuggled cigarettes, the largest interception of its kind this year so far.
Meanwhile, through coordination with the Department of Agriculture, the BOC seized more than P178 million worth of fishery products, onions, carrots, poultry and sugar during the two-month period.
The BOC said the operations were conducted under Republic Act 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, which classifies large-scale smuggling of farm goods as economic sabotage.
Nepomuceno also introduced new policy measures in July to strengthen the bureau’s campaign against smuggling and corruption.
On July 2, he issued his first directive suspending all previously approved but unserved Letters of Authority and Mission Orders to restore discipline in field operations and prevent unauthorized enforcement activities.
This was followed on July 17 by a memorandum prohibiting all BOC officials, employees and personnel from holding any financial interest in customs brokerage operations.
“These results, along with our steadfast commitment to instituting meaningful reforms, stand as strong evidence of our determination to combat smuggling in all its forms,” Nepomuceno said. / PNA
