POLICEMEN seized some P596,000 worth of smuggled cigarettes and apprehended a driver during a checkpoint operation in Samburon village, Linamon, Lanao del Norte, late Friday night, September 18, 2026.
Police Colonel Leo Sua, Lanao del Norte police director, said the operatives have flagged down an Asian Utility Vehicle (AUV) around 11:50 p.m. Friday, September 18, and found assorted cigarettes being transported without proper documentation.
Sua said apprehended was alias Odin, 33, a driver and resident of Cormatan village, Poona Piagapo, Lanao del Norte.
Sua said the seized shipment consisted of 745 reams of assorted cigarettes, with an estimated market value of P596,000.
The vehicle used to transport the cigarettes was also impounded.
The checkpoint operation was conducted by the 3rd Platoon of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) in coordination with the Lanao del Norte Maritime Police Station, 1005th Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 10, and Linamon Municipal Police Station.
Sua said Odin was brought to the Linamon Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition and was referred to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for appropriate action.
The seized cigarettes and vehicle remained under the custody of the 1st PMFC, Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office, pending turnover to the BOC.
Sua commended the operating personnel and underscored the need for sustained checkpoints and inter-agency coordination to curb the transport of illicit and undocumented goods.
“We will continue to strengthen our checkpoint operations and coordination with concerned government agencies to deter illegal activities and ensure the effective enforcement of the law,” Sua said in a statement.
“We also encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station,” he added.
The confiscation of smuggled cigarettes on Friday night was the second anti-smuggled accomplishment of the police in Lanao del Norte during the day.
Around 1:56 a.m. Friday, September 18, the police arrested an individual as they intercepted a shipment of P321,600 worth of smuggled cigarettes in a law enforcement operation in Campong village, Pantar, Lanao del Norte. (SunStar Zamboanga)