(Photo courtesy of ZCPS6)
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Police confiscated approximately Php 5.2 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes during an intelligence-driven operation in a coastal village of Zamboanga City early Monday, November 2.
According to Zamboanga City Police Station 6 (ZCPS6), the contraband was intercepted around 3:40 a.m. at a finger wharf along Lapu-Lapu Drive in Barangay Arena Blanco.
The operation was conducted by ZCPS6 personnel in coordination with Zamboanga City Police Station 12 (ZCPS12) as part of intensified monitoring against illegal activities along the city’s coastline.
Police said operatives were conducting intelligence gathering and shoreline patrols when they spotted several unidentified individuals carrying boxes containing unknown items.
As officers approached the group, they noticed packs of cigarettes wrapped in transparent cellophane.
“As officers approached, they noticed packs of cigarettes reportedly enclosed in transparent cellophane,” ZCPS6 said in its report.
Upon noticing the approaching police officers, the individuals fled in different directions, abandoning the boxes at the wharf.
Authorities subsequently recovered 80 master cases of assorted cigarette brands with an estimated market value of Php 5.2 million.
The confiscated cigarettes were brought to ZCPS12 for safekeeping, inventory and documentation pending coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for proper disposition.
Police have launched further investigations to identify the individuals involved, including the owners and shippers of the suspected smuggled cargo.
Authorities have yet to report any arrests in connection with the operation.
