• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Authorities seized an estimated P40 million worth of suspected illegal cigarettes and arrested 10 suspects during an anti-smuggling operation in Sitio Labugon, Barangay Nagbo-alao, Basay, Negros Oriental on May 16.
Of the 10 arrested suspects, nine are residents of Zamboanga City, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
The truck driver identified as alias “Sar”, is a resident of Valencia, Negros Oriental.
PLt. Col. Joem Malong, regional police spokesperson, said the suspects were allegedly involved in the transport and distribution of illegal cigarettes bearing unauthorized tax seals and lacking the mandatory graphic health warning labels required under the Graphic Health Warning Law.
The shipment also allegedly violated provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, a report of the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) said.
Confiscated during the operation were around 700 master cases of Bosqu brand cigarettes, a 10-wheeler closed van, a motorized blue junkong, two touchscreen cellular phones, a white Ford Explorer, and a white Mitsubishi L300.
The seized cigarettes were turned over to the PRO-NIR Regional Investigation Division for custody while the motorized boat was placed under the custody of the Maritime Special Operations Unit.
The arrested suspects were brought to the Basay Municipal Police Station.
The Basay operation came amid a series of anti-smuggling crackdowns in Negros Oriental over the past several days.
On May 15, authorities confiscated an estimated P850,000 worth of illegal cigarettes during another operation in Barangay Dahili, Mabinay.
In Negros Occidental, police recovered an estimated P2.3 million worth of abandoned illegal cigarettes along a roadside in Barangay 5, San Carlos City last week. | GB
