SMUGGLED CIGARETTES. Police and Bureau of Customs personnel arrest three suspects and seize more than P1.3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes near Manalipa Island, Zamboanga City, on Tuesday evening (Feb. 28, 2023). The smuggled cigarettes came from Jolo, Sulu, and were bound for Cotabato City when seized by the authorities. (Photo courtesy of 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities have arrested three suspects and seized more than PHP1.3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes near an island village in this city, a top police official said Wednesday.
Col. Alexander Lorenzo, city police director, said police arrested Bas Sikan Mohammad, 42, the motorboat skipper, and his two assistants and confiscated the illicit goods Tuesday evening near the Manalipa island.
He said the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company and Bureau of Customs personnel launched a seaborne patrol after receiving a tip from an informant and chanced upon the motorboat named “Maira.”
Upon inspection, the motorboat was found loaded with 38 master cases of cigarettes that came from Jolo town, Sulu province, and bound for Cotabato City.
Mohammad and his two companions failed to present documents of the smuggled merchandise.
On Feb. 25, three persons were also arrested while some 600 reams of smuggled cigarettes worth PHP420,000 were seized inside a sports utility vehicle in Barangay Culo of Molave town, Zamboanga del Sur.
Apprehended were Rijan Adillin Dammang, Sahid Juhan Raffy Jailani, and Anibal Sahifa Saladain, according to Col. Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command - Western Mindanao.
He said the smuggled cigarettes came from this city. (PNA)
