The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and other government agencies seized suspected smuggled cigarettes worth more than Php 1.7 billion from 24 containers that originated in Cebu.
The operation was conducted with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Internal Revenue after the NBI provided intelligence information.
The BOC said the cigarettes were allegedly misdeclared as consumer goods aboard the vessel ASC Big Boy at Pier 7, a private port in Cebu, before the shipment was moved to Manila on June 19.
Authorities accounted for all 24 containers during the operation, with 16 found at a private shipping facility in Tondo, Manila, and four still aboard the vessel.
Four other containers had already been dispatched to warehouses, but three were later retrieved while authorities continued efforts to locate the remaining container.
The BOC said BIR validation showed that cigarettes from 23 containers had no required tax stamps, covering about 29,000 master cases valued at Php 1.716 billion.
BOC officials said the cigarettes were reportedly manufactured in China and Dubai and would not be allowed to enter the market because of public health and regulatory concerns.
The seized goods would undergo forfeiture proceedings before destruction, with the condemnation process to be fully documented. Authorities said the shipment may have violated the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and the National Internal Revenue Code, while a full inventory and investigation are underway.