Surigao city: A total of PHP1.3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes were confiscated by personnel of the Surigao del Norte Police Provincial Office (SDNPPO), an official said Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, DNPPO Director Col. Warren Dablo stated that the first confiscation occurred on Monday at a checkpoint in Barangay Luna, Surigao City. Acting on an intelligence report, police personnel were dispatched to intercept a specific J and T cargo truck traveling towards Tandag City, Surigao del Sur. The truck was intercepted at a checkpoint, but the driver managed to flee in an unspecified direction.

Seized from the truck were 52 half-cases of Casa Blanca cigarettes and 18 half-cases of Champion cigarettes, valued at PHP700,000. In the evening of the same day, Dablo said the female branch manager of J and T Express Delivery in Surigao City voluntarily surrendered to the SDNPPO headquarters and turned over smuggled cigarettes.

The surrendered contraband includes 61 half-master cases of Cannon menthol cigarettes, with an estimated market value of PHP610,000. 'This intelligence-driven operation by the SDN Police shows how collaboration effectively combats high-impact crimes,' Dablo said. He noted that smuggling is a serious offense and that the SDNPPO will remain committed to enforcing the law and protecting Surigao del Norte residents.