P9 million cigarettes seized in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A motor boat loaded with P9.1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes was apprehended in the waters off Barangay Recodo in this city on Sunday.

The M/V Airborne Nurfalin with six crewmembers on board was sailing toward the nearby village of Maasin when it was spotted by a joint team of the police and Bureau of Customs (BOC), according to Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Genero Ylagan, chief of the Zamboanga regional police.

During the inspection, the team discovered the boat was loaded with 260 master cases of cigarette brands such as Astro, Bros, Bravo, Cannon, Fort and San Marino.

The crewmembers were all natives of Jolo, Sulu, where the cigarettes were believed to originate.

The contraband was turned over to the BOC for destruction.