03/03/2026
| ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข-๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐, ๐๐๐ข๐ณ๐๐ฌ โฑ๐.๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ โฑ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ
Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno reported a heightened nationwide anti-smuggling campaign targeting illicit ci******es and illegal drugs, which has resulted in the seizure of โฑ1.8 billion worth of smuggled ci******es and cigarette manufacturing materials and โฑ760 million worth of dangerous drugs as of 02 March 2026.
Speaking during the 1st Flag Raising Ceremony for the month of March, Commissioner Nepomuceno said the Bureau of Customs (BOC) intensified intelligence-led and inter-agency-coordinated enforcement operations in line with the directive of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen border security and combat illicit trade, leading to hundreds of successful seizure actions across the countryโs ports of entry.
He reported that in 2025 alone, the BOC conducted 1,024 interdiction operations, including 143 drug seizures valued at โฑ5.630 billion and 317 cigarette-related seizures amounting to โฑ1.8 billion, reflecting the Bureauโs sustained efforts to curb smuggling and protect lawful trade.
Commissioner Nepomuceno attributed these results to stronger inter-agency cooperation and robust data-sharing, noting the BOCโs close collaboration with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and other partner agencies. โOur 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,โ he emphasized.
As a part of this strengthened inter-agency coordination, the BOC and PDEA recently formalized a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on 26 February 2026, establishing integrated databases, real-time information-sharing, and enhanced scanning and inspection protocols at ports of entry to ensure faster interdictions and seamless joint operations.
Demonstrating firm operational resolve, the BOC, through its intelligence and enforcement units, mounted a sweeping campaign that resulted in the confiscation of โฑ634.858 million in smuggled ci******es across Western Mindanao and Zamboanga City โ the largest single-day cigarette-related crackdown since 2025. These operations signal the BOCโs sustained and aggressive push to dismantle smuggling networks, combatting the proliferation of smuggled to***co products that may undermine public health and deprive the government of lawful revenues.
On 09 February 2026, a major interdiction was carried out in close coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), leading to the interception of a shipment at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) containing an estimated โฑ272 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) misdeclared as โmarble.โ The operation marks the largest drug haul recorded by the BOC so far this year.
Anchored on the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to secure the nationโs economic foundations, these enforcement efforts reflect a firm commitment to protecting lawful trade and preserving fair market conditions.
