COTABATO CITY — Policemen seized P14 million worth of smuggled cigarettes from southern provinces in an offshore operation in Zamboanga City on Monday.

Radio reports on Tuesday in Central Mindanao stated that a small wooden boat, marked Yana 1, carrying 350 large boxes containing cigarettes with different Indonesian brands was intercepted by seaborne personnel of the Police Regional Maritime Unit 9 (RMU 9) a few miles off Barangay Sinunuc in Zamboanga City on Monday.

Officials of the RMU 9 said three boatmen were detained for procedural interrogation. Their boat was immediately impounded, now berthed near their headquarters in Baliwasan seaside in Zamboanga City.

RMU 9 officials were quoted in radio reports as saying that they have promptly foiled the smuggling attempt after local officials informed them about it.

RMU 9 officials said they will turn over the seized smuggled cigarettes to the Bureau of Customs for its proper disposition. — John Felix M. Unson

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