IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay – Navy personnel intercepted ₱9.1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and arrested five men in a maritime operation off Sulu, authorities said Thursday, September 25.
Rear Admiral Constancio Arturo Reyes Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Naval Command (WMNC), said sailors aboard BRP Herminigildo Yurong (PG906) stopped motorboat MFB Ghazi around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday off the coast of Panamao town.
On board were five individuals, whom Reyes confirmed as residents of Olutanga, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Isabela City, Basilan. Their names were withheld.
The motorboat was carrying 160 master cases of undocumented foreign-brand cigarettes, allegedly shipped from Jolo and bound for Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
The Navy personnel brought the contraband and vessel to Naval Station Romulo Espaldon in Zamboanga City for documentation and turnover to the Bureau of Customs.
Reyes said the operation underscores WMNC’s commitment to protect Western Mindanao waters from smuggling, piracy, and other illicit activities.
The latest seizure marks the third major anti-smuggling operation in the region since September 1.
On September 12, authorities intercepted ₱25 million worth of smuggled cigarettes between the islands of Sacol and Manalipa in Zamboanga City – the biggest haul so far this month.
A day earlier, on September 11, police caught two suspects, including a policeman, at a checkpoint in Barangay Divisoria with ₱16.1 million worth of contraband cigarettes.
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