SMUGGLED CIGARETTES. A team of police and Bureau of Customs (BOC) operatives arrest four suspects and seize some PHP4.4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes while on seaborne patrol in the waters off Zamboanga City early Friday (May 5, 2023). The confiscation came barely a week after the BOC led the destruction of some P1.4 billion worth of confiscated smuggled cigarettes in Zamboanga City. (Photo courtesy of Marco Miguel)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities arrested Friday four suspects and seized some PHP4.4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in an operation off this city, a top police official said.
Col. Alexander Lorenzo, city police director, identified the arrested suspects as Alyasser Malik, 35; Jam Badiri, 22; Albani Bennajar, 26; and Jihad Albani, 52.
Lorenzo said the four were arrested by a patrolling team of policemen and BOC operatives around 2:30 a.m. Friday in the waters of Barangay Recodo here.
Police and BOC operatives launched a seaborne patrol after receiving information that a shipment of smuggled cigarettes was set to arrive early Friday.
Loenzo said the suspects' motorboat was found to be loaded with 126 master cases of assorted cigarettes worth PHP4.4 million and no one among the four crewmen was able to present documents of their cargo.
The arrested suspects, motorboat, and cigarettes were taken to the headquarters of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company and later turned over to the BOC.
The shipment of smuggled cigarettes was seized barely a week after the BOC led the destruction of some PHP1.4 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes in this city. (PNA)
