THE Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) has intercepted a shipment of some P4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off Zamboanga City, a top official of the NFWM said Tuesday, October 1.
Rear Admiral Erick Kagaoan, NFWM commander, said the shipment of smuggled cigarettes was intercepted around 8:50 p.m. Saturday, September 28, near the shore of the village of Campo Islam, west of Zamboanga City.
Kagaoan said the NFWM personnel were conducting anti-smuggling operations when they chanced upon M/V Champion, a "jungkung" type motorboat, loaded with 100 master cases of cigarettes smuggled from Indonesia. The shipment was bound for Zamboanga City via Sulu.
He said the motorboat owner was identified as Elvison Judaini, a resident of Barangay Asturias, Jolo, Sulu. It was operated by a certain Boy and two other crew, Azmil Bin Jerry and Kadil Al-Amin Jilhano.
He said the motorboat, its crew and the smuggled cigarettes that included Fort, Astro, Bravo, and Canon Menthol were taken to the Ensign Majini Pier at the Naval Station Romulo Espaldon for proper documentation and were later turned over to the Bureau of Customs.
Kagaoan said they will sustain the maritime interdiction and other operations to curb and preempt smuggling and other illegal activities in the operational area of the NFWM.
Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said they will not tolerate smuggling and illegal activities that impede trade and economic growth in Mindanao.
"We are impelled to bolster our naval operations to end illegal activities and lawlessness in the area," Sobejana said. (SunStar Philippines)