ZAMBOANGA CITY – A businessman was arrested while allegedly transporting some PHP1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Zamboanga del Norte province, a top police official said Wednesday.
Col. Glenn Dulawan, Zamboanga del Norte police director, said Jammal Ahil, 43, was arrested around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at a checkpoint in Barangay Mucas, Salug town.
Dulawan said police personnel at the checkpoint found Ahil's mini-dump truck to be loaded with 52 master cases of assorted cigarette brands worth PHP1 million.
“We conducted checkpoint operations immediately after receiving information that a motorboat loaded with boxes of cigarettes docked at the shore of Barangay Mucas,” Dulawan said.
He said Ahil failed to show proper documents for the confiscated cigarettes.
On April 1, authorities also arrested a smuggling suspect and seized some PHP1.6 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Barangay New Labangan, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur.
(PNA)
