Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service agents assigned in Manila North Harbor seized more than P21.6 billion worth of contraband, including smuggled shipments of illegal drugs, in 2022.
Of the total amount, P4.02 billion came from 121 alerted shipments, P9.1 billion from 50 letter of authorities (LOAs), and the P8.4 billion seizures from buy-bust operations the CIIS men conducted with other law enforcement agencies.
Those seizures were among the accomplishments made by the CIIS that was recognized by the Bureau of Customs during the agency’s 121st anniversary celebration on Feb. 7 attended by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Outgoing Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz commended and gave CIIS director Jeoffrey Tacio the plaque of recognition for helping the bureau fulfill its mandate of border protection.
“I received the award on behalf of many of our intelligence officers on the ground who continue to do the groundbreaking work of making sense of the information they receive and ensuring the success of these operations. We’ve captured billions worth of contraband items, but this award is also a reminder of the big work that still lies in front of us,” said Tacio.
He also took time to laud the CIIS officers and agents for their outstanding work in the past year.
“This is proof that working together leads to great things. I am not only proud of what our people have done last year, but I am looking forward to what more we can do for our kababayans who rely on us to protect their livelihoods, ensure the fair prices of goods, and free our streets of contraband items”, he said.
Records showed that the 2022 accomplishment made by the CIIS was higher compared to the P18.1 billion seizures in 2021, P1.2 billion in 2020, and P4.5 in 2019.
In its anti-drug smuggling campaign, the biggest seizure made by the CIIS last year was during the operation in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan where they discovered 360 kilos of metamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu worth P2.4 billion.
The operation was made in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
In March, the CIIS team also seized P1.088 billion estimated worth of 160 kilos of shabu in Barangay Karuhatan, Valenzuela City.