AUTHORITIES seized some P9.42 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and arrested an individual in a law enforcement operation in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, a top police official said Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
Police Brigadier General Dennis Esguerra, Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula director, did not identify the arrested individual except to say he is a 41-year-old male and a resident of Purok 1, Lanao village, Cagayan de Oro City.
Esguerra said the individual was arrested around 10 p.m. Monday, August 10, in Purok Narra, Militar village, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur.
Seized from the van were some 60 master cases of assorted smuggled cigarettes worth P9,420,000 based on the assessment of the BOC.
“This accomplishment is a clear reflection of our continuous efforts to strengthen our campaign against smuggling and illicit trade,” Esguerra said in a statement.
The arrested individual was brought to the Tukuran Municipal Police Station for proper disposition and in preparation for the filing of charges for violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Esguerra said they will continue to intensify their checkpoint operations, intelligence gathering, and coordination with the BOC and other partner agencies to intercept smuggled goods before they reach the market. (SunStar Zamboanga)