3 nabbed over P21.2 million smuggled cigarettes

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January 7, 2026 | 12:00am

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Smuggled cigarettes valued at P21.2 million were seized in a police operation that also resulted in the arrest of three people in Zamboanga City on Tuesday.

Reports said that members of the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company were patrolling near Manalipa Island at around 4 a.m. when they spotted three boats marked “Columbia.”

“There was a brief chase as the boats tried to speed away before it was intercepted by our personnel,” Lt. Col. Philmore Dumagat, chief of the mobile force company said.

Dumagat said the team inspected the boats and found 332 master cases of assorted brands of cigarettes with an estimated market value of P21.2 million.

He said the crewmembers failed to present documents for the transport of their cargo, prompting the police to arrest them.

During investigation, the crewmembers reportedly told police that the contraband came from Sulu and was supposed to be delivered to Cotabato.

The boats were towed to the headquarters of the mobile force company where an inventory was conducted on the seized items.

Dumagat said the suspects would be charged for violating the Anti-Agriculture Economic Sabotage Act of 2016.