Lanao del sur: Intensified police law enforcement operations in Lanao del Sur's 39 towns and one city resulted in the confiscation of smuggled cigarettes and shabu with a combined worth of PHP23.6 million from April 20 to 28, a police official said Wednesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Colonel Caezar Cabuhat, Lanao del Sur provincial police director, reported that cigarette smuggling alone accounted for more than 400 master cases of the contraband. These were found concealed in cars, trucks, and sports utility vehicles during the period. On April 21, an estimated PHP16.1 million worth of illicit cigarettes, believed to be from Malaysia, were found abandoned inside three trucks without their drivers. Additionally, three cigarette smugglers were arrested in separate operations during the same period.

In the campaign against illegal drugs, three men were arrested during separate entrapment operations, and PHP7.5 million worth of suspected shabu were confiscated. The largest drug haul occurred on April 22, when police operatives arrested a high-value target in Marawi City and seized illegal drugs worth PHP6.8 million during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Banga. 'I commend all the involved operating units for their strong teamwork and swift action that led to the arrest of this high-value target,' Cabuhat said.

Meanwhile, in the campaign against loose firearms, police in Lanao del Sur have accepted the surrender of 12 firearms, while three others were confiscated during a checkpoint operation that also led to the arrest of seven people. Additionally, Cabuhat reported that 10 wanted persons facing criminal charges have separately been arrested and detained during the period.