ZAMBOANGA CITY – Operatives of the Zamboanga City Police Office’s (ZCPO) Station 7 in partnership with the Bureau of Customs have seized some P13,020,000 worth of assorted smuggled cigarettes in this city.
Police Col. Rexmel Reyes, ZCPO director said that prior to the confiscation, the policemen intercepted at dawn Monday a cargo truck loaded with assorted smuggled cigarettes allegedly owned by Sherwina Joe-Alihuddin and arrested four persons.
Arrested were by Benmark Sombillo, 30, the truck driver and his assistants, namely, Aldin Sabtal, 29; Omar Juljani, 35; and, Badi Abtang, 48.
Reyes said that the ZCPO’s Station 7 operatives conducted a checkpoint operations in Barangay San Roque, this city, on the basis of the information received that smuggled cigarettes will be transported from this city to Zamboanga Sibugay province.
He said that a follow up operation was conducted around 2:30 a.m. Monday by joint operatives of the Station 7 and BOC, that resulted to the confiscation of 372 master cases of assorted smuggled cigarettes worth P13,020,000 from the warehouse of Alihuddin at Zone 3, Barangay San Roque.
He noted that the confiscated contraband along with the container truck were turned over to the BOC-Zamboanga District Office for proper disposition.
Meanwhile, Reyes commended the operatives of Station 7 for a job well-done, and, appealed to the public to continuously support the ZCPO on its campaign against all forms of criminality and illegal activities, as the organization remains committed to carry out its mandate and “will always be ready to selflessly provide the people with the services that they deserve from their Philippine National Police”. – Nikolai Gonzalo
