Navy nets P526-M smuggled cigarettes off Basilan waters
PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — The Philippine Navy’s Western Mindanao Naval Command (WMNC) intercepted two separate maritime smuggling attempts within 48 hours, confiscating contraband shipments of foreign-brand cigarettes worth a combined P526.3 million.
Operating under the tactical control of Naval Task Force 61 (NTF61), naval units carried out back-to-back operations that led to the seizure of two motorboats, the arrest of 21 crew members, and the confiscation of nearly 3,916 master cases of undocumented tobacco products bound for distribution in mainland Mindanao.
On May 13 at 3:10 p.m., authorities intercepted M/B ZHYZHY off Basilan waters. Boarding teams discovered 2,519 master cases of cigarettes.
The vessel’s captain and 13 crew members from Maluso, Basilan, failed to present valid documentation.
A joint inventory conducted with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) placed the haul’s market value at P317.35 million, including the P1.2 million value of the boat.
READ: P3.2-M ‘smuggled’ cigarettes seized in Pagadian; suspect nabbed
READ: Smuggled cigarettes worth P80-M seized by PCG Central Cebu
On May 15, NTF61 units intercepted JTK EXPRESS southeast of Matanal Point in Hadji Mohammad Ajul, Basilan.
The vessel was found carrying 1,400 master cases of cigarettes originating from Tawi-Tawi and bound for Pagadian City. The captain and six crew members likewise failed to produce importation permits. The seized cargo and vessel were valued at P208.95 million.
All apprehended individuals were brought to Naval Station Romulo Espaldon in Zamboanga City. The contraband and vessels were formally turned over to the BOC-Port of Zamboanga for disposition and the filing of charges under Republic Act No. 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
WMNC said the operations underscored the Navy’s “resolute mandate to secure the country’s maritime borders, curb economic sabotage, and prevent the entry of illegal goods through the southern backdoor.”
The twin operations add to a string of recent crackdowns in Western Mindanao, a region long exploited by smugglers due to its porous maritime routes. /mcm
