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Bureau of Customs seized P2.56 billion worth of contraband as of March 2, 2026
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Confiscations include P1.8 billion in smuggled cigarettes and manufacturing materials, and P760 million in illegal drugs
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In 2025, BOC conducted 1,024 interdiction operations, including 143 drug seizures worth P5.63 billion and 317 cigarette seizures valued at P1.8 billion
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Largest single-day cigarette crackdown since 2025: P634.858 million seized in western Mindanao and Zamboanga City
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P272 million worth of shabu misdeclared as “marble” intercepted at the Manila International Container Port on February 9
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BOC formalized a memorandum of agreement with PDEA on February 26 for real-time data sharing and enhanced port inspections
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Customs chief Ariel Nepomuceno cited strong inter-agency ties as key to enforcement gains
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated P2.56 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes and illegal drugs in the first two months of the year as it ramped up intelligence-driven and inter-agency enforcement operations nationwide.
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno disclosed the figures during the agency’s first flag-raising ceremony for March, reporting P1.8 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes and cigarette manufacturing materials seized, alongside P760 million worth of dangerous drugs.
Nepomuceno said the bureau intensified intelligence-led, coordinated enforcement actions in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen border security and combat illicit trade, resulting in hundreds of successful seizure operations across major ports of entry.
In 2025, the BOC conducted 1,024 interdiction operations, including 143 drug seizures valued at P5.63 billion and 317 cigarette-related seizures amounting to P1.8 billion.
The commissioner attributed the results to strengthened collaboration and data-sharing among enforcement agencies, citing close coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other partner agencies.
“Our personal relationships with other heads of agencies are very strong, and this is the main reason why inter-agency trust is now high and effective,” Nepomuceno said as quoted in a press release.
On February 26, the BOC and PDEA formalized a strategic partnership through a memorandum of agreement that established integrated databases, real-time information sharing, and enhanced scanning and inspection protocols at ports of entry to facilitate faster interdictions and joint operations.
Among the recent enforcement actions was the confiscation of P634.858 million worth of smuggled cigarettes across western Mindanao and Zamboanga City, the largest single-day cigarette-related crackdown since 2025.
READ: BOC, Navy foil P180M cigarette smuggling in Celebes Sea
On February 9, 2026, customs authorities, in coordination with PDEA, intercepted a shipment at the Manila International Container Port containing an estimated P272 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, misdeclared as “marble.” The operation marked the largest drug haul recorded by the BOC so far this year.
The agency said the sustained campaign aims to dismantle smuggling networks, curb the proliferation of illicit tobacco products that undermine public health, and protect government revenues, in line with the administration’s broader economic security agenda.
READ: BOC-NAIA finds P21.4M worth of illegal drugs in unclaimed parcels
