ZAMBOANGA CITY – A motorized boat loaded with smuggled cigarettes worth P9.6 million was intercepted and its 10 crewmembers were arrested near an island east of this city on Tuesday night.
Personnel of the Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company (ZCMFC) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) intelligence unit were conducting sea patrol when they spotted the boat in the waters off Manalipa Island.
Lt. Col. Reynald Ariño, 2nd ZCMFC commander, said a jungkong marked F/B Jamaika was loaded with 275 master cases and 32 reams of assorted smuggled cigarettes.
He said the vessel came from Sulu and was on its way to Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur.
Ariño said the vessel, seized items and those arrested were turned over to the custody of the BOC.