The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has achieved a significant milestone in bolstering national security and streamlining customs procedures as the BOC collaborated with key stakeholders to introduce the E-Travel Customs System yesterday, November 21, 2023. This innovative system, launched at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, is a joint effort with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

The Bureau of Customs – Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) intercepted misdeclared pests from Thailand at the Sub-Port of Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) on November 13, 2023.

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bien Rubio on Thursday, November 16, 2023, lauded the arrest of a big-time onion smuggler and said that the success of the operation is a huge step toward the Philippine government’s campaign against agricultural smuggling.

The Bureau of Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (BOC-NAIA) under District Collector Yasmin Obillos-Mapa intercepted an inbound express cargo containing suspected dangerous drugs, declared as vitamins, supplements, baby wash and body wash, on November 9, 2023, at the DHL Express Gateway Warehouse in NAIA.

In a joint operation on November 6, 2023 the Bureau of Customs (BOC) – Port of Davao and the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) successfully intercepted illicit contraband in the vicinity waters of Davao Gulf. This operation has led to the apprehension of 717 master cases containing 35,850 reams of assorted brands of cigarettes, with a combined estimated value of P27,587,500.00. Additionally, one motorized banca was seized during the operation.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Zamboanga, in coordination with the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company “Seaborne”, intercepted a motorized wooden watercraft loaded with smuggled imported cigarettes with an estimated value of P13.752 million along the waters of Maasin, Zamboanga City, last November 6, 2023.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) prevented the entry and eventual release of misdeclared agricultural products in the Port of Subic.

Upon receipt of reliable derogatory information, the Port of Subic issued eight (8) Pre-Lodgment Control Orders and two (2) Alert Orders against a total of fifteen (15) 40-footer container van shipments said to contain frozen lobster balls and frozen Surimi crab. However, during the conduct of 100% physical examination the said alerted shipments were instead found to contain assorted fresh vegetables (potatoes, carrots, broccoli).

The Bureau of Customs-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), in collaboration with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the NAIA Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG), apprehended a Bolivian traveler from Addis Ababa, who arrived thru Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 644, carrying cocaine inside his luggage.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has outlined the procedures for processing duty drawback claims through the issuance of Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 16-2023, in accordance with Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 4-2019.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) achieved another milestone by exceeding its target collection for October 2023 with nearly PhP80 billion in total revenues.

Preliminary data shows that BOC collections reached PhP78.616 billion in October, posting a 1.4 percent increase or PhP1.084 billion above its collection target for the month.