ZAMBOANGA CITY – Operatives of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) seized some PHP10 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off Basilan strait, an official said Wednesday.
Michael Lanza, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Section chief of BOC-Zamboanga District, said the shipment was seized around 11:39 p.m. Tuesday off Basilan Strait.
Lanza said the team was patrolling the waters of Malamawi in Basilan, and Recodo in this city when they spotted two fishing boats--F/B Lacoste and F/B Al-Iya--that originated from Jolo, Sulu.
When inspected, Lanza said the two fishing boats were loaded with smuggled cigarettes with an estimated worth of PHP10 million.
The seizure came a day after a team of BOC and Regional Maritime Unit-9 (RMU-9) intercepted some 300 sacks of smuggled cigarettes being unloaded from a wooden boat in a finger wharf in Barangay Baliwasan. (PNA)
