LAWMEN have arrested an individual and seized around P7.6 million of smuggled cigarettes in a law enforcement operation in the province of Lanao del Norte, the police said Sunday, June 28, 2026.
Police Colonel Leo de Leon Sua, Lanao del Norte police director, identified the arrested individual as alias Ab, 37, a resident of Claro M. Recto village, Maigo.
Sua said Ab was arrested around 12:50 a.m. Sunday, June 28, in Purok 5, Libertad village, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte.
Sua said the operatives launched checkpoint operation as they received a validated intelligence report regarding the transport of smuggled cigarettes in Libertad village, Kolambugan.
“The team flagged down a white wing van after observing that the driver was not wearing the prescribed seat belt. Instead of complying, the driver attempted to breach the checkpoint but was immediately intercepted and safely blocked by the operating personnel,” Sua said in his report.
“Upon verification, the vehicle matched the description provided in the intelligence report,” he added.
He said upon thorough inspection, the vehicle was found carrying 190 master cases of undocumented cigarettes with an estimated value of P7,609,000.
The driver was brought to the Kolambugan Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition while the confiscated vehicle and smuggled cigarettes remain under the custody of the Lanao del Norte Provincial Intelligence Unit, pending their formal turnover to the Bureau of Customs.
Sua commended the operating teams for the successful operation and reaffirmed the office’s commitment to supporting the government’s intensified campaign against smuggling.
He said smuggling not only deprives the government of much-needed revenues but also undermines legitimate businesses and the country’s economic security.
He encouraged the public to remain vigilant and report any information regarding the transportation or storage of illegal and smuggled goods to the authorities. (SunStar Zamboanga)
