P5.93 million cigarettes found in abandoned boat

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Smuggled cigarettes worth P5.93 million were found in an abandoned motorized boat in this city on Thursday.

Members of the 904th Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion were conducting maritime security patrol around Sta. Cruz Island when they spotted the boat at past 5 a.m.

The police unit inspected the boat and found several master cases of cigarettes with no tax stamps, according to Zamboanga peninsula police director Brig. Gen. Elmer Ragay.

Police and personnel of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) conducted an inventory of the cigarettes and accounted for 38 master cases with an estimated value of P5.93 million.

The contraband and the boat were turned over to the BOC-Zamboanga port district for proper disposition.