ISABELA CITY, Basilan Province — The Bureau of Customs Sub-port of Basilan intensified its border control campaign against the entry of smuggled cigarettes adopted by the BoC Zamboanga district Office in Zamboanga City.
BoC Sub-port of Basilan province collector Nurin Hakimin said that a more bonded coordination was adopted by his office along with the police and military authorities, including elements of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Coast Guard.
Hakimin said the BoC and enforcement authorities have jointly agreed to conduct a rigid patrol along the sea lanes leading to Zamboanga City and to other cities and provinces in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
“My office has to fully support BoC Zamboanga City district collector Segundo Barte Jr. in his strict campaign on border control. My office will adopt all remedies and measures to help Barte,” Hakimin said.
He also reported that his office — together with personnel of BARMM — already completed the inventory of the smuggled cigarettes intercepted and seized by PCG-BAR and BoC operatives.
The team intercepted the contraband at the waters off Lakit Island in Hadji Muhtamad Municipality, Basilan province on Saturday.
The M/B Fatima Shaina 2 reportedly came from Sulu province and was heading to Zamboanga City when they were intercepted by the authorities.
During the inventory, it shows that there were about 95 master cases of assorted brands of smuggled cigarettes worth P4.275 million.
The BoC sub-port collector of Basilan said that among the brands seized by the anti-smuggling team were the famous brands of Fort, San Marino, Trojan, Cannon Menthol, Astro and Berlin.
After the inventory, the seized contraband was temporarily stored at the headquarters of the PCG-BAR sub-station in Maluso for protective custody and safekeeping, according to Hakimin.