By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.

ABANDONED CONTRABAND. Personnel of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force “Seaborne” Company watch over the shipment of PHP25 million worth of smuggled cigarettes they intercepted in the waters between Sacol and Manalipa islands off Zamboanga City on Friday (Sept. 12, 2025). No arrests were made, as the boat carrying the contraband was found abandoned by its crew after they sensed the presence of the maritime police patrol. (Photo courtesy of 2ZCMFC)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Authorities seized an estimated PHP25 million worth of smuggled cigarettes during an operation at sea off two island components of this city, a top police official here said Saturday.

Col. Fidel Fortaleza Jr., director of the Zamboanga City Police Office, said the smuggled cigarettes were seized at about 5:05 p.m. Friday between the islands of Sacol and Manalipa.

Fortaleza said personnel of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile “Seaborne” Company (2ZCMFC) were on maritime patrol when they sighted a motorboat in the area.

The motorboat, marked “Makhfiyyan,” was discovered abandoned when approached by the 2ZCMFC patrol boat.

“The police team found it (motorboat) unmanned and appeared to have been abandoned by its crew prior to the interception,” Fortaleza said in his report.

The police seized 400 master cases of assorted cigarette brands from the boat, brought them to the 2ZCMFC headquarters, and subsequently turned them over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.

Fortaleza said an investigation is in progress to identify the owner of the seized smuggled cigarettes.

Friday’s confiscation came a day after local authorities arrested two suspects, including a policeman, after discovering PHP16.1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes inside a closed van at a checkpoint in Barangay Talabaan here.

The policeman, the alleged owner of the smuggled cigarettes, is assigned in Sulu, while his driver is a resident of this city. (PNA)