DAVAO CITY – In two separate raids, elements from Area Command Post-Western Mindanao confiscated smuggled cigarettes amounting to more than PHP1.6 million.
Though no one was arrested, Col. Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command – Western Mindanao, revealed that their anti-smuggling drives in Lanao del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay, successfully confiscated the contrabands on Thursday at around 11:00 in the morning.
Verceles said authorities received a tip that 116 master cases of assorted smuggled cigaresttes were unloaded in Tambara village in Malabang, Lanao del Norte, which led to the raid but no one was around.seized in Barangay Tambara, Malabang, Lanao del Sur at about 11 a.m.
While 30 reams of assorted smuggled cigarettes were also confiscated in Barangay Bliss, Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay at about 5 p.m. on the same day.
The raid was conducted and good confiscated after an owner of a neighborhood sundry store reported to them that an unidentified person is selling her cigarettes at cheaper prices.
All the confiscated goods will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for disposition, Verceles said.
