Zamboanga City – Coast Guard and Navy personnel intercepted a motorized jungkong loaded with 205 cases of imported cigarettes amounting to P7.125M during joint law enforcement operation against smuggling in the waters off Recodo, Wednesday.
On board the jungkong were 10 individuals composed of crew members and passengers- all from Barangay, Zone 3, Jolo, Sulu. The individuals were found to have no requirements to enter Zamboanga City though they claimed to be residents of the city.
The crew could not also not present documents for the cargoes.
The operation was conducted by joint elements of CGIU-Zambo under CGIG-SWM and NISG personnel onboard NIF-WM speedboat in conjunction with the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
A joint inventory was conducted at the shoreline of Majini pier by composite teams from the Bureau of Customs (CIIS & Customs Police), Naval Forces Western Mindanao, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (K9), Coast Guard Station Zamboanga and CGIG-SWM.
Per inventory conducted, the smuggled items consisted of 205 master cases of assorted imported cigarettes worth a total of P7,175,000.
All those involved face charges for violation of Section 1401 and other related provisions of Republic Act 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tarrification Act of 2016, and regulations of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in relation to Executive Order No. 245, also known as the “Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exportation and Importation of Leaf Tobacco and Tobacco Products and National Tobacco Administration (NTA), Memo Circular No. 03, series of 2004 National Tobacco Authority (NTA).