P8.7M smuggled cigarettes seized off Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay coast

Authorities on Thursday said they seized smuggled cigarettes worth P8.7 million in the waters of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

In a social media post, the he Philippine National Police (PNP) said a Filipino man was arrested after authorities stopped a gray motorized boat at around 4 a.m.

Police said the suspect is facing charges for violating the Graphic Health Warnings Law and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

Authorities seized 150 master cases of smuggled cigarettes.

The arrested suspect and seized cigarettes are under police custody.

“We will keep tightening our watch over coastal entry points. Patuloy naming isinusulong ang mga operasyong nagpoprotekta sa ekonomiya at kaligtasan ng ating mga komunidad,” PNP acting chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

(We will keep tightening our watch over coastal entry points. We continue to advance operations that protect the economy and safety of our communities.) —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News