DAVAO CITY — Personnel from Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao confiscated some 1,846 cases of smuggled cigarettes from a motorized watercraft off the water of Balut Island, Davao occidental early this week.
The crew revealed that the contrabands came from the province of Tawi-Tawi. The boat had 25 crew onboard.
The boat, MB Mhufar-3 was still floating in the sea of Balut Island when it was caught by the forces of the operatives of of the Naval Task Force 71.
The crew of the motorized watercraft failed to show documents of the goods they were carrying which prompted the authorities to confiscate the items.
Navy personnel aboard the BRP Artemio Ricarte intercepted the boat when they were conducting territorial defense operations in the waters of Balut Island.
The watercraft was towed to the port of Camp Panacan.
The smuggled cigarettes are scheduled to be turned over to the Bureau of Customs.
