ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities arrested two men for allegedly smuggling cigarettes worth over ₱1.2 million during a checkpoint operation in the early hours of August 27, 2025, along Veterans Avenue Extension.
The Zamboanga City Maritime Police Station (ZC MARPSTA), in coordination with the 1st Special Operations Unit – Sea-Based Component (Basilan), intercepted a wing van truck driven by one of the suspects around 12:53 a.m.
Inside the vehicle, police discovered 1,070 reams of various cigarette brands suspected to be smuggled, with no Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax stamps or labels. Authorities estimated the value of the contraband at ₱1,227,210.
The suspects, identified by their aliases “Egin,” 49, and “JP,” 34, were said to be employees of a logistics company.
Charges have been filed against them for violating Republic Act No. 10643, or the Graphic Health Warnings Law, and Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Both the suspects and the confiscated items remain under the custody of ZC MARPSTA for proper documentation and disposition.
Authorities stressed that the operation reflects the intensified crackdown on smuggled and unregulated goods, highlighting the government’s continued efforts to protect public health and maintain order by curbing illegal trade.