The Bureau of Customs seized fake cigarettes and imported rice worth P60 million in Zamboanga city.
Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero said the seized contraband consist of 55,000 sacks of rice and 85 cartons of cigarettes.
The smuggled seized shipments were found on board m/v Maria Rebecca where operatives found 85 cartons of fake branded cigarettes worth P4.9 million while M/B RJ Express has 5,081 bags of rice worth 5.81 million. Another shipment on board m/v Hulk yielded more or less 50,000 bags of rice worth P50 million.
The operation was part of the joint BOC and Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police against the proliferation of smuggled goods.
The shipments are now under the custody of the Port of Zamboanga.
The seized rice shipments will be donated to DSWD while the cigarettes will be destroyed.