The Bureau of Customs has intercepted smuggled rice and fake branded cigarettes worth more than P1.2 million in separate operations in Zamboanga City, officials said Thursday.
Port of Zamboanga district collector Segundo Sigmundfreud Barte said the smuggled rice were seized from ML Nhardzrmar-2 docked at Weebin Private Wharf, Baliwasan Seaside, Zamboanga City while the cigarettes were seized from MV Trisha Kirstin-1 of Aleson Shipping Lines.
The Customs also seized 196 sacks of rice from Vietnam, and were transported to Sulu, before distributing them to Zamboanga City.
Barte said the smugglers tried to conceal the shipment by mixing the sacks of rice with copra products.
On the other hand, the cigarette shipment were placed in several big boxes and originated from Indonesia-Malaysia.
No one has showed up to claim the shipments, Barte said.
Barte said the seizure was a joint operation by the BoC-Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, Enforcement and Security Service, Philippine Coast Guard, Task Force Aduana, Joint Task Force Zamboanga and the PPA Port Police.