SULTAN MASTURA: Police in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) seized PHP450,000 worth of smuggled cigarettes in an early-morning operation here Saturday. The recent operation brought the total confiscations in the past three months to nearly PHP50 million.
According to Philippines News Agency, Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz, BARMM police regional director, stated that officers from the Sultan Mastura Municipal Police Station acted on a tip from a concerned citizen who noticed suspicious activity at a fish port in Barangay Simuay Seashore. The seized items are under the custody of the Sultan Mastura police and will be handed over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposal and further legal action.
“This incident highlights the importance of community support in aiding local authorities to curb smuggling in the region,” Macapaz said in a statement. The operation followed another large seizure on Wednesday when police in Parang intercepted PHP1.5 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Bara
ngay Nituan. A 28-year-old suspect from Malabang, Lanao del Sur, was arrested while transporting the contraband to Cotabato City in a multi-cab.
BARMM police reported that the smuggled cigarettes are reportedly sourced from Malaysia or Indonesia, with Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces serving as key entry points for illegal goods. On September 25, also in Parang, 490 boxes of smuggled cigarettes valued at PHP18.1 million were seized. In August, confiscated cigarettes totaled PHP31.5 million.
