Joint police and Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel have seized some PHP3.5 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off this city, the police reported Friday.
The 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company (2ZCMFC) reported that the shipment was seized on Thursday near the island of Manalipa, one of the 11 islands east of this city.
The 2ZCMFC said the joint team was on seaborne patrol when they spotted a jungkong-type motorboat with marking MPB “Arshan-2” manned by four crew members steaming to this city coming from Basilan province.
Upon inspection, the motorboat was found to be loaded with 100 master cases of King Perfect Cigarettes.
The 2ZCMFC said the watercraft, crewmen, and its cargo were placed under the custody of the BOC for proper disposition.
The K9 unit of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) also conducted inspection and paneling on the master cases of the confiscated smuggled cigarettes for the possible presence of illegal drugs.
The local authorities have strengthened the conduct of seaborne patrol as part of the border control measure against illegal entries and smuggling activities.
The measure is also to prevent the entry of people, through the coastal areas, from nearby provinces without submitting negative swab test results amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Philippines News Agency
