BOC Cagayan de Oro Launches Full-Blast Crackdown vs Fuel Smugglers, Illegal Traders

The message from the Bureau of Customs – Port of Cagayan de Oro was loud, direct, and impossible to ignore:
The war against fuel smuggling in Northern Mindanao is no longer just an operation—it is now a full-scale offensive.

Under the hard-driving leadership of Atty. Manuel O. Zurbito Jr., the Port of Cagayan de Oro, intensified its anti-smuggling campaign through a high-level enforcement dialogue with the Philippine Coast Guard Northern Mindanao and SGS Philippines—a move seen by insiders as a major escalation in the government’s crackdown on illicit fuel syndicates operating across the region.

Representing Collector Zurbito during the strategic meeting was the relentless and battle-tested Deputy Collector for Operations, Atty. Mohammad Ben-Usman, alongside Christopher Inducil, Legal Division Chief Aliya Malawani, and ESS-CDO District Commander Arkhan Macaombang.

Also present were John Paul Ambak and Lester Dave Ramirez from the Philippine Coast Guard Northern Mindanao, as well as SGS Philippines officials Vien Kristoffer Montalana, Amiel Malate, and Brian Arana.

But this was no ordinary coordination meeting.
This was a warning shot.
Sources say the dialogue centered on tightening the noose around fuel smugglers, strengthening border enforcement, and expanding fuel marking operations designed to expose illegal petroleum products flooding the market.

And at the center of this aggressive enforcement push is Collector Zurbito—a leader now gaining a reputation for turning policy into action and pressure into results.

While others talk, Zurbito’s camp is moving.
Fast.
Hard.
And without apology.
With Deputy Collector Ben-Usman leading operational coordination on the ground, the Port is sharpening its intelligence networks, strengthening inter-agency alliances, and building a more ruthless enforcement posture aimed directly at economic saboteurs profiting from illicit fuel trade.

For legitimate businesses and consumers, the operation signals protection.
For smugglers, it signals danger.

The collaboration between the Bureau of Customs, the Philippine Coast Guard, and SGS Philippines is expected to intensify fuel monitoring operations across Northern Mindanao, targeting suspicious shipments, undocumented fuel movements, and potential tax leakages that continue to drain billions from government revenues.

Inside customs circles, one thing is becoming clear:

The Port of Cagayan de Oro is no longer content with routine enforcement.

Under Collector Atty. Zurbito and Deputy Collector Atty. Ben-Usman, it is positioning itself as one of the most aggressive anti-smuggling fronts in the country.
And the smugglers know it.

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