LAWMEN have arrested three people as they seized around P21.2 million worth of smuggled cigarettes off Zamboanga City, a police official said Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Philmore Dumagat, chief of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force "Seaborne" Company, said the shipment of smuggled cigarettes was seized Monday afternoon, January 5, near the island village of Manalipa, Zamboanga City.
Dumagat withheld the identities of the three arrested individuals pending further investigation.
Dumagat said that 2ZCMFC personnel were conducting routine seaborne patrol when they chanced upon a motorboat locally known as jungkung.
Upon inspection, the motorboat was found carrying 332 master cases of assorted master cases of cigarettes with an estimated worth of P21,258,000.
Dumagat said the cigarettes and motorboat were seized after the three crew failed to present documents to show legality of the cargos they are transporting.
The confiscated items and the three arrested crew were brought to the 2ZCMFC headquarters for proper disposition.
He said they will continue to intensify the anti-smuggling campaign in Zamboanga City. (SunStar Zamboanga)