SOME P660,000 worth of smuggled cigarettes were seized while six people were arrested in anti-smuggling operation in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the police reported Wednesday, May 18, 2022.
Police Brigadier General Franco Simborio, Police Regional Office (PRO) Zamboanga Peninsula director, said the shipment of smuggled cigarettes was seized around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at the fish port in San Pedro village, Pagadian City, the capital of Zamboanga del Sur province.
Simborio said that the arrested persons were the following: Rommel Hajijul, 35; Kumar Albain, 23; Samil Kuddiya, 29; Una Albain, 55; Ruslan Ahari, 25; and, Alih Hakim, 45.
Simborio said the joint team Pagadian City and Bureau of Customs (BOC) policemen launched the anti-smuggling operation following report that a fishing boat marked “Friendly” loaded with smuggled cigarettes was set to dock at the fish port in San Pedro, Pagadian City coming from Zamboanga City.
He said seized from the fishing boat 18 master cases of Champion cigarette brand, 13 master cases of Absolute brand, and 250 reams of Fort cigarettes worth P660,000.
He said all of the fishing boat crew failed to present documents to show proof the shipment of the cigarettes is legal.
He said that arrested crew together with the confiscated cigarettes and fishing boat were brought to Pagadian City Police Station for inventory and documentation and subsequently turned over to the BOC for proper disposition. (SunStar Zamboanga)