WOODEN-HULLED VESSELS. Authorities intercept two wooden-hulled vessels loaded with PHP210 million worth of smuggled cigarettes Wednesday (Oct. 5, 2022) near Tumalutap Island, Zamboanga City. The shipment is the biggest to have been seized so far by authorities in this city. (Photo courtesy of Remus Lim Ong)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities scored the biggest catch so far after intercepting two vessels loaded with some PHP210 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off this city, officials said Thursday.
Lt. Col. Reynald Ariño, 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force “Seaborne” Company, said the shipment of smuggled cigarettes was intercepted and seized around 5 p.m. Wednesday in the vicinity of Tumalutap, one of the eight island villages of this city.
Ariño said a team of police and Bureau of Customs (BOC) operatives were on seaborne patrol when they spotted the two wooden-hulled vessels named M/V Nurkaisa and M/V Phoenix loaded with smuggled cigarettes.
The dozen people aboard the two vessels failed to present any documents of the cigarette shipment that came from Jolo, Sulu, and bound for Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay province, he added.
Mayor John Dalipe said the vessels were loaded with an estimated 6,000 master cases of assorted cigarettes.
“I call on the security sector to intensify its operations against smuggling. I’ll see to it that those involved will be dealt with accordingly,” Dalipe said in a statement.
The confiscation of the PHP210 million worth of smuggled cigarettes was the second shipment seized by authorities here this month.
On Oct. 3, some PHP1.9 million worth of smuggled cigarettes were also apprehended near Sta. Cruz Island of this city.
The shipment came from Jolo, Sulu, and was bound for Cotabato City. (PNA)
