AN INVESTIGATION is underway to determine the ownership of P518,000 worth of smuggled cigarettes seized by lawmen in Maguindanao del Norte, the police said Sunday, October 19, 2025.
Police Brigadier General Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-Bar), said the smuggled cigarettes were confiscated around 9:55 p.m. Friday, October 17, along the diversion road in Dalumangcob village, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.
No one was arrested, as the supposed owner or handler of the cigarettes abandoned the contraband upon sensing the arrival of policemen.
De Guzman said police operatives rushed to the area after receiving a report from concerned citizens about the presence of smuggled cigarettes along the diversion road.
He said 14 master cases of cigarettes, valued at about P518,000, were seized.
De Guzman commended the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station and the public for their cooperation, reaffirming PRO-Bar’s commitment to sustain anti-smuggling and anti-criminality efforts to maintain peace and economic integrity in the region. (SunStar Zamboanga)