LAWMEN have arrested two people, including a policeman, after seizing a shipment of P16.1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in an intelligence-driven law enforcement operation in Zamboanga City, a top police official said Thursday, September 11, 2025.
Police Colonel Fidel Fortaleza Jr., Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) director, withheld the identities of the suspects pending further investigation.
The policeman, the alleged owner of the smuggled cigarettes, is assigned in Sulu.
The policeman’s driver is a resident of Sitio Lumiyap, Divisoria village, Zamboanga City.
Fortaleza said the suspects were arrested around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, September 11, when police operatives intercepted a closed van during a checkpoint operation in Sitio Bactus, Talabaan village, Zamboanga City.
He said confiscated aboard the van were 282 master cases of assorted cigarettes, with a total estimated value of P16.1 million.
He added that the checkpoint operation was launched following receipt of an intelligence report about the shipment of smuggled cigarettes.
The arrested suspects are now in the custody of Zamboanga City Police Station 4, while the confiscated smuggled cigarettes, including the vehicle, were properly turned over to the Bureau of Customs for disposition. (SunStar Zamboanga)