AUTHORITIES arrested two individuals and seized some P600,000 worth of smuggled cigarettes in a law enforcement operation in the province of Lanao del Norte, the police said on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Police Colonel Leo De Leon Sua, Lanao del Norte police director, identified the two arrested individuals as alias Ray, 30, a resident of Zone 1, Tiguma village, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur; and Kai, 23, a resident of Adjid, Indanan, Sulu.
Sua said the two were arrested while transporting smuggled cigarettes in a checkpoint operation around 12:30 a.m. Saturday, May 23, in Purok 1, Bansarvil-1 village, Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte.
“During the routine inspection and verification of the vehicle, duty personnel observed several master cases of cigarettes inside the passenger seat area and cargo compartment,” Sua said in his report.
He said both Ray and Kai failed to present the necessary transport and supporting documents for the cargo they were transporting.
Seized from the vehicle were 750 reams of undocumented cigarettes with an estimated market value of P600,000, based on the Bureau of Customs (BOC) valuation of P800 per ream.
The two individuals were brought to the Kapatagan Municipal Police Station for documentation and appropriate disposition.
Meanwhile, the confiscated cigarette products and the vehicle used to transport them were placed in the custody of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company of the Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office, pending formal turnover to the BOC.
Sua commended the operating personnel for their vigilance and underscored the importance of sustained law enforcement operations against illegal trade activities. (SunStar Zamboanga)