SMUGGLED CIGARETTES. Policemen and soldiers in coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seize a total of P15.2 worth of smuggled cigarettes in two anti-smuggling operations in Zamboanga City. The bulk of the confiscation was made early Thursday (July 7, 2022) of Barangay Ayala, Zamboanga City. (Photo courtesy of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Policemen have arrested 10 people as they intercepted two motorboats and a truck loaded with some PHP15.2 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off this city, officials said Thursday.
The bulk of the smuggled cigarettes were intercepted aboard two motorboats—Ayyeen and Zafreen Qasla—around 4:20 a.m. Thursday as they were about to dock on the shore of Barangay Ayala here.
Lt. Col. Reynald Ariño, 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company commander, said arrested aboard Ayyeen were Alsid Dalisan, Faizal Sangkula, Abduridjan Anni, and Gaspar Susulan.
Those arrested aboard Zafreen Qasla were Almijir Salapuddin, Bannajir Mikael, Nilson Hapas, Almujeb Abdulgari, and Abdulhamik Mikael.
Ariño said they were conducting border control patrol together with Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel when they chanced upon the two motorboats.
“The two motorized wooden water crafts were from Jolo bound to Zamboanga City,” Ariño said in his report.
He said the two motorboats yielded 255 master cases and 87 reams of assorted brand of cigarettes worth PHP8.9 million.
No one among the crew of the two motorboats were able to present documents of their cargo.
Meanwhile, Col. Alexander Lorenzo, Zamboanga City Police Office director, said that Edgar Estrada, 46, was arrested following a brief chase during an intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operation around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Barangay San Roque here.
Lorenzo said Estrada suffered face injury in an attempt to escape on foot leaving behind the truck he was driving. Two other people aboard the truck eluded arrest.
Estrada's truck was founded loaded with PHP6.3 million worth of assorted undocumented smuggled cigarettes, the police official said. (PNA)
