Zamboanga del Norte: Authorities arrested two suspects and confiscated PHP7.79 million worth of smuggled cigarettes during an operation in Leon B. Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Brig. Gen. Roel Rodolfo, newly appointed director of the Police Regional Office in Zamboanga Peninsula (PRO-9), stated that the suspects, aged 29 and 47, were apprehended during a 4 p.m. checkpoint operation in Barangay Poblacion. The Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Intelligence Unit and local police intercepted a truck loaded with 136 master cases of assorted undocumented cigarettes lacking graphic health warnings, a violation of Republic Act 10643.
'The successful operation highlights the continuous efforts of PRO-9 to combat illegal trade activities and protect public health by ensuring that tobacco products comply with existing laws,' Rodolfo said. He encouraged the public to report illegal activities to the nearest police station to help safeguard the community.
The seized cigarettes will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition. Tuesday's haul marks the second anti-smuggling operation this year in Zamboanga del Norte and its largest to date. On Jan. 7, authorities arrested a 20-year-old suspect and confiscated PHP687,600 worth of smuggled cigarettes in Dipolog City.
