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The Bureau of Customs filed 14 criminal cases against 40 importers and brokers in the past seven months
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Charges involve technical smuggling, misdeclaration, and undervaluation of goods
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Four have been convicted under the current term of the customs commissioner
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed criminal complaints against 40 importers, their representatives, and licensed customs brokers as part of its intensified anti-smuggling campaign.
In a news release the agency said it has initiated 14 criminal cases involving violations of Republic Act No. 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act or CMTA), including technical smuggling, misdeclaration, and undervaluation of goods to evade the proper payment of duties and taxes from July 1, 2025 to the present. The cases were lodged before the Department of Justice.
Aside from the newly filed cases, the bureau reported securing four criminal convictions during the term of current commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, who took office in July last year. The convictions stemmed from smuggling cases filed in previous years.
The agency said the convictions demonstrate that cases pursued by the bureau can reach successful judicial resolution, reinforcing its enforcement efforts beyond seizure and forfeiture proceedings.
BOC said the filing of charges and the securing of convictions underscore the bureau’s strategy to hold individuals criminally liable for unlawful importation and to strengthen deterrence against smuggling schemes that erode government revenues and disadvantage legitimate businesses.
“Following the President’s directive, we will vigorously root out smuggling and revenue fraud, and we will hold unscrupulous importers and brokers fully accountable for any attempt to defraud the government,” Nepomuceno said.
READ: BOC bolsters national borders, seizes P61.707B in 2025 anti-smuggling campaign
