Over P.5-million smuggled cigarettes seized in Sibugay

AUTHORITIES have seized over a half million pesos worth of contraband in a law enforcement operation in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, the police said Wednesday, August 28, 2024.

The Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula said the contraband, consisting of smuggled cigarettes, was seized around 10:40 p.m. Monday, August 26, on a riverbank in Purok Jupiter, Barangay Bangkerohan, Ipil, the capital Zamboanga Sibugay province.

However, the police said no one was arrested as the two unidentified persons seen stockpiling the master cases of cigarettes fled upon sensing the arrival of the patrolling policemen.

The police operatives have recovered 10 master cases of smuggled with an estimated worth of P573,000 that were abandoned by the two unidentified persons.

The confiscated smuggled cigarettes were taken to the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Police Office for documentation and eventual turnover to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.

“This successful operation underscores the unwavering dedication in the relentless fight against illegal activities. Salamat sa mga Tropa ng Zamboanga Sibugay Police Provincial Office,” Police Brigadier General Bowenn Joey Masauding, PRO-Zamboanga Peninsula director. (SunStar Zamboanga)