AUTHORITIES have arrested two individuals and seized P8.7 million worth of contraband in an anti-smuggling operation in the province of Sulu, the police said Wednesday, July 23, 2025.
Police Brigadier General Jaysen De Guzman, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) director, identified the two arrested individuals through their aliases as Dendasil, 35; and Alpajal, 25, both residents of Patikul, Sulu.
De Guzman said the two were arrested in an anti-smuggling operation on Tuesday, July 22, in Tandu Bagua village, Patikul.
De Guzman said the police operatives, in closed coordination with the Bureau of Customs, launched the anti-smuggling operation in response to information from concerned citizens about illegal activities taking place in Tandu Bagua village.
Seized from the two arrested individuals were 100 master cases of assorted brands of smuggled cigarettes with an estimated market value of P8,750,000.
The smuggled cigarettes were intended for distribution across the province of Sulu.
The confiscated items and arrested suspects are now in the custody of Sulu Maritime Police Station for proper documentation and the filing of appropriate charges against them. (SunStar Zamboanga)