AUTHORITIES have arrested four individuals as they confiscated more than P2 million worth of smuggled cigarettes during a law enforcement operation in the province of Lanao del Sur, the police said Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
The identities of the four arrested individuals were not immediately known. They were arrested Tuesday, October 13, in Libertad village, Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte.
Police Colonel Leo Sua, Lanao del Norte police director, said personnel from the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company launched a checkpoint operation and intercepted a dropside truck bound for Iligan City after receiving information about the movement of suspected smuggled cigarettes.
Sua said the operatives discovered 2,602 reams of cigarettes concealed in ice cases during the inspection.
Among those confiscated were 2,255 reams of Castorce cigarettes and 347 reams of Cannon cigarettes, with a total estimated value of P2,081,600. The truck used for the trip was also seized.
Sua said the driver and his three companions were brought to the Kolambugan Municipal Police Station for documentation.
The truck and cigarettes are in the custody of the 1st PMFC pending turnover at the Bureau of Customs.
Sua continues to encourage the public to cooperate with authorities in combating smuggling and other illegal activities in the province of Lanao del Norte. (SunStar Zamboanga)