LAWMEN have arrested one person and seized some P13.6 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in an intelligence-driven law enforcement operation in Zamboanga City, the police said Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Police Brigadier General Roel Rodolfo, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula director, identified the arrested suspect as alias Tabong, 38, a resident of Kasanyangan village, Zamboanga City.
Rodolfo said Tabong was arrested in an anti-smuggling operation around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, in Purok 4, Malagutay village, Zamboanga City.
He said Tabong was arrested when policemen, in coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC), chanced upon and inspected a panel truck suspiciously parked in Purok 4, Malagutay village.
Rodolfo said seized from the panel truck driven by Tabong were 237 master cases and 49 reams of assorted worth P13,637,410.
Tabong was detained at the Zamboanga City Police Station 8 while the confiscated smuggled cigarettes were turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.
The smuggled cigarettes that were seized on Wednesday evening were the second biggest anti-smuggling accomplishment of the local police, this month.
On May 2, three persons were arrested while some P36.7 million of smuggled cigarettes were seized at a private wharf in Campo Islam village, Zamboanga City.
Prior to the arrest and confiscation, the local police received information from a confidential informant indicating that a motorboat had docked at the private wharf to unload assorted smuggled cigarettes. (SunStar Zamboanga)