BARMM cops seize P50-M smuggled cigarettes in 3 months

SULTAN MASTURA, Maguindanao del Norte – Police in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) seized P450,000 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 P50 million.

Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz, BARMM police regional director, said Sultan Mastura Municipal Police Station officers 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 P1.5 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Barangay 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 said the smuggled cigarettes are reportedly sourced from Malaysia or Indonesia. Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces are usually the key entry points for illegal goods.

On Sept. 25 also in Parang, 490 boxes of smuggled cigarettes valued at P18.1 million were seized.

In August, confiscated cigarettes totaled P31.5 million. (PNA)