Mayor John Dalipe the other day reaffirmed his support to anti-smuggling efforts as he reiterated his zero-tolerance approach on any and all smuggling activities in the city.

The mayor said this, as he witnessed on April 28 the condemnation of 19,419 master cases and 667 reams of smuggled cigarettes amounting to P1.43B – the largest condemnation of seized cigarettes in the port of Zamboanga during the first quarter of 2023.

Mayor John Dalipe commended the Bureau of Customs – Zamboanga Port and its partner law enforcement agencies for their commitment to anti-smuggling, as he vowed to mobilize government resources to help and support the campaign.

The undocumented cigarettes were drenched and repeatedly crashed by payloaders before they were transported to the Sanitary Landfill in Salaan for disposal.

Port of Zamboanga Acting District Collector Engr. Arthur Sevilla, Jr. said the BOC will be unrelenting in its campaign against smuggling, as he thanked all partner agencies for the support and equal dedication to rid the city and the neighboring areas of smuggling activities.

The condemned cigarettes were apprehended during various anti-smuggling operations in Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi during the first quarter of 2023.

Present during the condemnation were BOC’s partner agencies such as the Zamboanga City Police, PDEA, Intelligence Group City, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, Philippine Coast Guard, National Bureau of Investigation as well as the BFP, CEO, OCENR and other agencies, Councilors Vino Guingona and Fred Atilano, Baliwasan Barangay Chair Aimee Cabato and numerous others. (Sheila Covarrubias)