PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur – Soldiers intercepted at least P29 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes during an early morning patrol in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur, on Wednesday.
Troops from the Philippine Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion (IB), led by 1st Lt. Arnulfo Ramonez, were patrolling at around 12:30 a.m. in Barangay Old Labangan when they chanced upon the substantial volume of illicit cigarettes stacked along the coast.
Initial inventory showed a total of 448 boxes of alleged smuggled cigarettes valued at P29,185,000.
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Following the apprehension, Ramonez coordinated with barangay officials, the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to conduct a joint inventory and facilitate proper turnover under existing laws and regulations.
The seized contraband will be temporarily turned over to the CIDG warehouse in Barangay Dao, Pagadian City, for proper custody and disposition.
Operations and coordination with concerned law enforcement agencies remain ongoing as authorities investigate the origin and intended destination of the illegal shipment./coa
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