AUTHORITIES have seized some P1.07 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes and arrested two individuals during a checkpoint operation along the National Highway in Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay, the police said Saturday, October 3, 2026.
The operation, conducted at about 4:40 p.m. Friday, October 2 in Purok Lubay, La Paz village, Naga, resulted in the confiscation of 18 master cases and 95 reams of suspected smuggled cigarettes with an estimated value of P1,074,000.
Personnel of the Naga Municipal Police Station, in coordination with soldiers from the 106th Infantry Battalion, and the La Paz Temporary Patrol Base, conducted the random checkpoint when they stopped a Sport Utility Vehicle for inspection.
Police Colonel Barnard Danie Dasugo, Zamboanga Sibugay police director, said the suspected contraband was seen in plain view inside the vehicle during the inspection, prompting its seizure in accordance with applicable procedures.
Dasugo said two suspects, along with the confiscated cigarettes and vehicle, were brought to the Naga Municipal Police Station for documentation and processing.
Dasugo did not release the identities of the two suspects pending further investigation.
He said the confiscated cigarettes will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition under existing laws and regulations.
He commended the participating personnel for their vigilance and coordination, saying checkpoints remain an important measure against the movement of contraband and other illegal goods.
He said they would continue coordinating with partner agencies and maintaining police visibility in strategic areas to curb the transport of illegal goods and other unlawful activities in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay. (SunStar Zamboanga)