The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Clark has destroyed several smuggled cigarette-manufacturing machines, fake cigarette master cases, and other packaging materials.
Condemned on November 18 were seven cigarette-making machines, one plastic recycling machine, one manual lifter, one generator set, and one generator cooling system that were seized February 19, 2019 and forfeited July 26, 2019.
These were seized for violating Section 1113 (f) and (l) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
Two sets of cigarette-manufacturing machines, one set of semi-automatic strapping machine, a plastic shredding facility, 145 cigarette master cases, packaging materials and tax stamps will also be destroyed on November 19. These were seized on March 5, 2018 and forfeited August 6, 2019 for violation of relevant sections of the CMTA, Intellectual Property Rights Law, National Tobacco Administration Circular No. 3-2014, BOC Memorandum Circular Nos. 15-2015 and 20-2006, and Bureau of Internal Revenue’s Revenue Regulation No. 1-97.
BOC in a statement said the condemnation of smuggled goods “sends a strong message to smugglers to stop their illegal business practices,” as these shortchange the government of the rightful revenues.