The Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao intercepted a vessel carrying smuggled cigarettes valued at around ₱43.5 million off the coast of Barangay Bato, Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur.
Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, the naval team located the vessel [cited as the M/L Fatima Shakira] registered to a Basilan-based owner and manned by 12 Filipino crew. On boarding the vessel, they discovered 1,107 boxes of the foreign-brand “Bosqu” cigarettes — allegedly shipped from North Sulawesi, Indonesia — without any proper documentation under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016 (R.A. 10863) in relation to Executive Order 245.
The vessel and the contraband were turned over to the Bureau of Customs for further disposition and investigation.