THREE people were arrested while some P438,900 worth of smuggled cigarettes were seized as the police together with the Department of Health (DOH) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) launched a campaign against the sale of smuggled cigarettes in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The campaign was dubbed Operations Plan (Oplan) Mega Shopper, according to Police Colonel Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao.

Verceles identified those arrested selling smuggled cigarettes as the following persons: Jerry Allani, 51; Arman Sahid, 21; and Ebilina Maruji, 40.

Verceles said Allani and Sahid were arrested around 4 p.m. Saturday, August 6, at the pasalubong building in Poblacion village, Ipil, Zamboaga Sibugay.

Verceles said that seized from them were some P171,500 worth of assorted smuggled cigarettes and marked money.

Maruji was arrested around 5 p.m. Saturday, August 6, at the public market in Don Andres village, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, according to Verceles.

He said seized from the store of Maruji were some P267,400 worth of smuggled cigarettes and marked money.

He said the arrested store owners and pieces of evidence were taken to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Zamboanga Sibugay field office for documentation and proper disposition.

He said that an appropriate case will be filed against them. (SunStar Zamboanga)