ARMY troops in coordination with the police have arrested two people and seized some P4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Lanao del Norte, the military said Monday, October 28, 2024.
The 4th Civil Relations Group (4CRG) did not identify to two arrested persons except to say they were drivers of the two intercepted vehicles loaded with smuggled cigarettes.
The 4CRG said the smuggled cigarettes were seized by the personnel of the 51st Mechanized Infantry Company (51MIC) and policemen in the afternoon of Friday, October 25, in Rebucon village, Nunungan, Lanao del Norte.
The 51MIC is under the command of the 5th Mechanized Infantry Battalion (5MIB) of the Philippine Army.
The 4CRG said prior to the arrest and confiscation, the troops of the 51MIC received information that there were vehicles carrying suspicious cargo in their area of operations.
The personnel of the 51MIC in partnership with the police launched checkpoint operations along the highways of Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Nunungan, and Kapatagan towns in Lanao del Norte.
During the operations, the troops at the detachment in Rebucon village, Nunungan, intercepted two vehicles loaded with 79 master cases of cigarettes worth P4 million.
The 4CRG said the two vehicles and the drivers were handed over to the Nunungan Municipal Police Station while the confiscated smuggled cigarettes were turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.
The 4CRG said in close coordination with law enforcement agencies, the 5MIB will continue to address criminal activities and public safety threats, prioritizing the well-being of residents of Lanao del Norte in close coordination with other law enforcement agencies. (SunStar Zamboanga)