- ₱11 million worth of illicit cigarettes seized in Davao City
THE NAVAL Special Operations Unit 7 seized an estimated P11 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Barangay Tibungco, Bunawan District on Monday evening, Feb. 10.
Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen about suspicious activity in the area, the NAVSOU7, a unit under the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM), responded and intercepted a motorized banca, the M/B Lady Doy, along the shoreline.
Sensing the authorities, the crew managed to slip under the cover of darkness as they abandoned numerous boxes containing illicit cigarettes.
The operation, part of NFEM’s ongoing campaign against the illegal importation and distribution of contraband, resulted in the seizure of 629 master cases of smuggled cigarettes.
The seized vessel and contraband were transported to Captain Feranil Pier, Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City, for documentation and turnover. NFEM personnel, in coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) XI and the Commission on Audit (COA) XI, unloaded and inventoried the confiscated items.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) XI also deployed canine units to inspect the cargo for illegal drugs.
