More than ₱1.6 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes were seized in separate operations in Basilan and Tawi-Tawi on December 5 and 7. The items included hundreds of rims and master cases abandoned by fleeing crews or left unattended at a port.
In Basilan, officers recovered assorted cigarette brands valued at about ₱709,140 from an unmarked Jungkong-type pumpboat intercepted near Taikila Island. The Basilan Maritime Police Station earlier received a tip from a Coastal Barangay Information Network source about a pumpboat loading suspected contraband from Tongkil Island and heading toward Maluso.
By 10 p.m., the boat was stopped, but its crew escaped to shore and abandoned the watercraft covered with a black tarp. Recovered cigarettes included 399 rims of GIFT, 100 rims of Y5, 50 rims of ASTRO, 44 rims of Bravo, and 43 rims of VX. Police also seized the pumpboat, estimated at ₱70,000, along with a flashlight, Crocs sandals, and a brown jacket. The items remain under the Basilan Maritime Police Station for follow-up investigation and eventual turnover to the Bureau of Customs in Isabela City.
Two days later in Tawi-Tawi, a joint patrol supported by the Bureau of Customs Sub-Port Bongao found 18 master cases of suspected smuggled cigarettes left unattended at the Gabbang-Gabbang Mini Port in Bongao. The haul, valued at about ₱1,031,400, consisted of Astro Red, Berlin Red, Premium Gold, and Sakura White.
The recovered cigarettes were transferred to Customs Sub-Port Bongao for documentation and disposition. Authorities said the back-to-back operations highlight continued efforts to curb smuggling across Bangsamoro’s maritime routes.
