BOC, PNP-Zamboanga City confiscate P5-M worth of smuggled cigarettes

PART of the contraband cigarette brands seized in the sea of Tumalutap Island, Zamboanga City.

BOC, PNP-Zamboanga City confiscate P5-M worth of smuggled cigarettes

Over P5 million worth of smuggled cigarettes were seized during three land and sea enforcement operations conducted by the Bureau of Customs and various components of the Philippine National Police in Zamboanga City.

Two of the activities were directed in Barangay Kasanyangan, Zamboanga City where components of the BOC and first Zamboanga City Portable Power Organization (ZCMFC), second ZMFC-Seaborne, and Zamboanga City Police headquarters 3 and 6 held onto 61 expert instances of grouped brands of carried cigarettes.

The joint government powers seized from Dustone Drive, Barangay Kasanyangan 25 expert instances of Gun, three expert instances of Blackhawk, and three expert instances of Vess, all brands of snuck cigarettes worth P1,085,000.

Citing observers, BOC Locale Gatherer Arthur Sevilla said the contrabands were deserted by two suspects who promptly escaped before specialists could arrive at the area.

Sevilla went on to say that concerned citizens alerted authorities to the fact that a number of boxes of illegal cigarettes had been delivered to the location where they were supposed to be picked up by whoever would transport and distribute the items.

Likewise in Barangay Kasanyangan, this time in a nipa cabin arranged inside the mangrove area of Sitio Asinan, components of the second ZCMFC-Seaborne, CIDG-ZCFU, and BOC-9 held onto 15 expert instances of BR Cigarettes and 15 expert instances of Chief Cigarettes at around 11:10 p.m. on Monday, September 11.

The supposed overseer of the products recognized exclusively as a certain "Boljack" escaped capture however the assessed market worth of the pirated cigarettes was put at P1,050,000.

A PNP source, nonetheless, said the 30 expert instances of snuck cigarettes should be prepared for transport and circulation.

The greatest take of the joint government powers occurred on September 11 inside the area waters off Tumalutap Island, Zamboanga City where they captured a mechanized vessel named FB Ommayah stacked with 4,200 boxes identical to 84 expert instances of different brands of pirated cigarettes.

Lt. of Police Col. The confiscated smuggled cigarettes, which included New Berlin Red, Astro Red, Forth Menthol, San Marino Green, San Marino Black, San Marino White, and Cannon Menthol, were estimated to be worth P2.9 million, according to Reynald Arino, the chief of the 2nd ZCMFC-Seaborne.

Specialists captured the vessel skipper distinguished as Takam Awang Julhakim and his team individuals Muhajir Hadjiruddin Ahadin, Udjah Alyala Usab, and Mahsin Mukam Usman, and are currently kept and going through examination.

Arino said they have uplifted their boundary control activities against unlawful passages and carrying in the long waterfront regions inside their ward.