P7.6 million smuggled cigarettes seized in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Smuggled cigarettes worth P7.6 million were confiscated off the coast of this city at dawn yesterday.

Personnel of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company Seaborne Unit and Bureau of Customs water patrol division intercepted a watercraft locally known as jungkong in the waters off Sta. Cruz island at about 2:10 a.m.

Col. Alexander Lorenzo, city police chief, said the smuggled cigarettes were discovered during an inspection of the vessel.

The boat captain, Muktar Abdulgapur, and crewmembers Junjun Asaddi, Jumor Asaddi, Ernie Jawabi and Merham Jumdail were arrested after they failed to present pertinent documents to transport the cigarettes.

Initial investigation showed the watercraft, which came from Jolo, was on its way to a private wharf in Sitio Baliwasan Seaside in Barangay Baliwasan, Col. Richard Verceles, operations chief of Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, said.