THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized P29.23 billion worth of smuggled goods from January to September this year, with counterfeit products accounting for the bulk of the haul.
Of the total, P19.556 billion worth of illicit shipments were seized through Intelligence and Enforcement Operations while P9.672 billion in smuggled goods were confiscated through Port Examination and Inspection.
During the period, the BOC confiscated P17.51 billion of fake products, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the total value of goods seized.
“BOC remained vigilant against unscrupulous importers through intensified intelligence and enforcement operations and consistent examination and inspection of containers at various ports of entry nationwide,” it said in its third quarter accomplishment report.
A total of 750 seizures were conducted as of the end of third quarter this year.
Among 19 types of commodities seized by the BOC during the period, illegal drugs took the second spot in terms of estimated value with P7.42 billion.
This is followed by general merchandise (P1.8 billion), cigarettes/tobacco (P1.34 billion), and agricultural products (P523.27 million).
In 2020, the BOC’s seizure of smuggled goods was estimated to be worth P10.629 billion. This was 48.36 percent lower compared to the value of smuggled goods it seized in 2019 at P20.584 billion.
For this year, the BOC targets to collect a total of P616.7 billion.
As of end-September, it has so far collected P472.2 billion, equivalent to almost 77 percent of its collection target for the year.