ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities recovered millions of pesos worth of alleged smuggled imported cigarettes after discovering two abandoned motorized boats during a joint anti-smuggling operation in Sitio Isla Verde, Barangay Talon-Talon, Zamboanga City, early Friday morning, July 31.
Personnel of the City Intelligence Unit of the Zamboanga City Police Office (CIU-ZCPO), in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, conducted the operation following intelligence reports on the possible transport of smuggled tobacco products into the city.
Upon reaching the coastal area of Sitio Isla Verde, authorities found two abandoned motorized boats loaded with boxes of suspected imported smuggled cigarettes. The individuals believed to be transporting the contraband had already fled before the arrival of the operating teams, leaving behind both the vessels and their illegal cargo.
Initial estimates place the value of the recovered cigarettes at millions of pesos, making it one of the significant anti-smuggling recoveries in the city. Authorities have yet to release the exact number of master cases confiscated and the total market value pending a complete inventory.
The recovered cigarettes were immediately secured and transported to the appropriate government facility for documentation, inventory, and proper disposition in accordance with existing customs and anti-smuggling laws.
Police said an investigation is now underway to identify the owners of the abandoned boats and determine the individuals or groups responsible for attempting to smuggle the imported tobacco products into Zamboanga City. Authorities are also looking into the possible source and intended destination of the shipment.
The operation forms part of the government’s intensified campaign against smuggling, which continues to deprive the government of millions in tax revenues while fueling the illegal trade of untaxed imported goods.
Law enforcement agencies assured the public that maritime patrols and intelligence-driven operations will continue across the coastal areas of Zamboanga City to curb the entry of smuggled products and hold those behind the illegal trade accountable.