POLICEMEN together with Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel arrested two people and seized over P1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Zamboanga City, the police reported Tuesday, August 9, 2022.

Police Colonel Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao (APC-WM), said arrested were Victor Hasan, 45, and Lisang Junaidi, 18, both residents of Phase 2 at Sitio Asinan in Kasanyangan village.

Verceles said they were arrested when the joint police and BOC personnel launched an intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operation around 3 a.m. Tuesday at the mangrove area of Talon-Talon village.

Verceles said the joint police and BOC personnel intercepted a motorboat navigating towards Asinan, Kasanyangan coming from Mampang village.

He said upon inspection, the motorboat was found loaded with 30 master cases of branded smuggled cigarettes worth P1,050,000.

He said the two arrested persons, motorboat, and smuggled cigarettes were turned over to the custody of the BOC for proper disposition. (SunStar Zamboanga)