In another decisive blow against financial smuggling, the Bureau of Customs–NAIA has once again proven that the country’s borders are no playground for illicit money movers. Acting under the marching orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to tighten border security, BOC-NAIA officers intercepted a staggering JPY 10 million carried by an arriving passenger at NAIA Terminal 1 on November 29, 2025.

Only JPY 1.56 million—the equivalent of USD 10,000—was returned to the passenger, well within the allowable limit. The remaining JPY 8.44 million—valued at over ₱3.17 million—was seized on the spot after the traveler failed to declare it in the mandatory e-Travel system.

This is not just routine enforcement. It is the kind of sharp, unblinking vigilance that has come to define the current Customs leadership.

At the helm is Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, whose uncompromising stance on financial integrity has been felt across the country’s ports. Nepomuceno lauded the NAIA team, emphasizing that strict enforcement of cross-border currency rules is essential to shutting down attempts to pipe illicit funds through the Philippines’ gateways.

“This interception reflects our firm commitment to enforcing cross-border reporting requirements and ensuring that illicit financial activity has no space at our ports,” Nepomuceno declared.

On the ground, that mandate is executed with precision by District Collector Atty. Yasmin O. Mapa who has become one of the strongest operational pillars of the bureau. Under her leadership, BOC-NAIA has intensified inspection protocols, adopting a no-nonsense approach that leaves smugglers, currency couriers, and opportunists with fewer and fewer escape routes.

The interception constitutes violations of Sections 117, 1400, and 1401 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863), in addition to breaching the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Manual of Regulations on Foreign Exchange Transactions.

If there is a message to be taken from this latest seizure, it is this:
Under Nepomuceno’s command and Mapa’s frontline execution, Customs is no longer the weak link that criminals once counted on.

The border is tightening. The corridors are closing. And at NAIA, the gates are firmly guarded.

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