The Bureau of Customs – Port of Cagayan de Oro has drawn a battle line—and this time, the target is crystal clear:
Fuel smugglers, illicit traders, and economic saboteurs operating across Northern Mindanao are now under full-scale assault.
In a fiery and high-powered enforcement dialogue that sent shockwaves across customs and maritime circles, the Port of Cagayan de Oro intensified its anti-smuggling offensive under the aggressive leadership of Manuel O. Zurbito Jr., whose administration is rapidly becoming known for hard enforcement, relentless operations, and zero tolerance against illegal trade.
The strategic meeting brought together the Philippine Coast Guard Northern Mindanao and SGS Philippines in what insiders described as a major operational escalation against fuel smuggling syndicates draining billions from government revenues.
But while Collector Zurbito sets the tone from the top, the operational heat on the ground is being driven by the hard-charging Mohammad Ben-Usman—the man now spearheading frontline coordination, enforcement synchronization, and anti-smuggling field operations for the Port.
Ben-Usman, widely regarded inside enforcement circles as one of the Port’s most aggressive operational commanders, represented Collector Zurbito during the high-level dialogue alongside Christopher Inducil, Legal Division Chief Aliya Malawani, and ESS-CDO District Commander Arkhan Macaombang.
Also joining the talks were Coast Guard officials John Paul Ambak and Lester Dave Ramirez, together with SGS Philippines representatives Vien Kristoffer Montalana, Amiel Malate, and Brian Arana.
But behind the formal discussions was an unmistakable message:
The crackdown has entered a new phase.
Authorities focused on tightening fuel monitoring systems, intensifying fuel marking operations, strengthening maritime enforcement coordination, and expanding intelligence-sharing mechanisms designed to hunt down illegal petroleum shipments slipping through regional waters.
And this time, officials are not merely reacting.
They are hunting.
Under Collector Zurbito’s command, the Port has shifted into an aggressive enforcement posture aimed directly at criminal networks exploiting the country’s fuel supply chain.
With Ben-Usman driving operational execution on the ground, enforcement units are now strengthening surveillance operations, inter-agency coordination, and tactical intelligence capabilities to choke off illicit fuel movements before they penetrate the market.
Inside customs circles, the message is already spreading fast:
The Port of Cagayan de Oro is no longer playing defense.
It is going on the offensive.
For legitimate businesses and consumers, the intensified operations signal protection and accountability.
For smugglers and illicit traders, they signal danger, disruption, and pursuit.
And as the partnership between the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine Coast Guard, and SGS Philippines grows tighter, expectations are rising that Northern Mindanao may soon become one of the country’s fiercest anti-smuggling battlegrounds.
One thing is becoming impossible to ignore:
Under Collector Manuel Zurbito Jr. and Deputy Collector for Operations Mohammad Ben-Usman, the Bureau of Customs – Port of Cagayan de Oro is transforming into a hard-hitting enforcement machine determined to crush fuel smuggling at all costs.
And the syndicates know the pressure is only beginning.

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