LAWMEN have arrested two individuals and seized around P526,640.64 worth of smuggled cigarettes in separate law enforcement operations in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur, the police said Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
The two arrested individuals include a businessman and a businesswoman, the police said.
Police Colonel Leo Sua, Lanao del Norte police director, did not release the identity of the arrested businessman, but said he is a 49-year-old resident of Old Poblacion village, Munai, in the same province.
Sua said the businessman was arrested around 9:24 a.m. Monday, March 2, in Samburon village, Linamon, Lanao del Norte.
Sua said the personnel of the Lanao del Norte 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (1PMFC) flagged down a Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) driven by the businessman while conducting checkpoint in Samburon village.
The vehicle was traveling from Munai, Lanao del Norte, en route to Iligan City when flagged down for inspection.
During the inspection, the personnel manning the checkpoint observed, in plain view through the vehicle's open window, reams of cigarettes wrapped in transparent cellophane and placed on the back seat.
"The driver was requested to present pertinent documents covering the cargo but failed to produce any, prompting authorities to hold the vehicle for further inspection," Sua said in his report.
He said confiscated from the vehicle were 10 master cases of assorted smuggled cigarettes with an estimated market value of P400,000.
The businessman was brought to the Linamon Municipal Police Station for proper documentation, while the confiscated cigarettes were transported to the 1PMFC headquarters pending turnover to the Bureau of Customs in Iligan City.
Sua commended the personnel of the 1PMFC for the successful operation, attributing the interception of the smuggled goods to the unit's intensified checkpoint strategy.
"This successful interdiction is a direct result of our heightened vigilance and strategic operations," he added.
Police Colonel Caezar Cabuhat, Lanao del Sur police director, said the businesswoman was arrested on Sunday, March 1, along Daguan village, Kapatagan in the same province.
Cabuhat said the personnel of Kapatagan Municipal Police Station and Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14-A are conducting checkpoint operation when they arrested the businesswoman for transporting smuggled cigarettes.
Cabuhat said before the arrest, the police operatives received information that a passenger bus bound for Cotabato City is carrying smuggled cigarettes.
"Upon inspection, checkpoint personnel discovered the suspected smuggled cigarettes concealed inside the luggage compartment of the bus," Cabuhat said in his report.
He said confiscated were 148 reams of smuggled cigarettes with an estimated value of P126,640.64, and 18 pairs of assorted slippers
He said the businesswoman and the seized items were brought to Kapatagan Municipal Police Station for appropriate disposition.
The confiscated cigarettes will subsequently be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.
He commended the vigilance and dedication of personnel manning the checkpoint, highlighting their important role in preventing the distribution of contraband and counterfeit goods in the province Lanao del Sur. (SunStar Zamboanga)