Police on alert for 34 smuggled vehicles in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Police are on the lookout for some 34 smuggled luxury vehicles that might have been brought to the Zamboanga peninsula.

Senior Police Officer 1 Wilfred Ator, Regional Highway Patrol Unit spokesman, said police have been constantly monitoring the Philippines Port Authority (PPA) wharf for inbound and outbound vessels.

They are strictly implementing Republic Act 6539, the Act Preventing and Penalizing Carnapping, specifically section 11 requiring clearance for the shipment of vehicles and motor vehicle parts, he added.

Ator said police have not let their guard down, although few people in Zamboanga peninsula have the capacity to purchase expensive cars.

“We have also to assess... most probably the market will be in Cebu and Manila,” he said.

Ator said the number of smuggling and car theft cases increases when there is a market for stolen vehicles.

“So if there were locally carnapped vehicle, there is possibility the imported vehicles are also coming in, so we are intensifying the monitoring,” he said.

It would be easy to detect if the smuggled luxury vehicles find their way to the peninsula through their intelligence network and coordination with barangay leaders, Ator said.