Zamboanga: Authorities have arrested two suspects and seized a shipment of some PHP25 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in an operation in this city on Monday morning. Colonel Fidel Fortaleza Jr., chief of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO), identified the arrested individuals as Vicente Garcia, 33, the driver; and Mhadzfar Muharram, 37, the truck helper.
According to Philippines News Agency, personnel of the police's 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company (2ZCMFC) arrested the suspects around 7:40 a.m. along R.T. Lim Boulevard, Barangay Baliwasan. Fortaleza said the 2ZCMFC personnel were conducting a checkpoint operation when they flagged down an enclosed van for inspection.
'A routine inspection revealed the vehicle had no valid documents. The driver displayed evasive behavior, which led to his admission that the vehicle contained boxes of cigarettes,' he said. The contraband allegedly originated from Sulu province and had just arrived when it was seized in this city. It will be handed over to the Bureau of Customs-Port of Zamboanga for proper disposal.
