The Bureau of Customs (BOC) confiscated around P12 billion worth of smuggled products this year, surpassing the tally for 2020.

Assistant Customs Commissioner Vincent Philip Maronilla said during the ''Laging Handa'' public briefing on Saturday ''in the first half of 2021, the smuggled items apprehended by the BOC reached P10 billion."

"In fact, we already exceeded the figures of apprehended (items) last year. More or less P12 billion worth of smuggled items were apprehended by the Bureau of Customs this year," he added.

Maronilla said the BOC recorded the highest collection of the BOC last September.

"Our collection last month, last September, our surplus in our target for September is more than one billion pesos. That is the highest collection in a month in the history of BOC," he said. Robina Asido/DMS