General Santos City, Philippines – In a coordinated anti-smuggling operation, law enforcement agencies apprehended a suspect and confiscated over PhP42,000 worth of undocumented cigarettes during a buy-bust operation at a public market in General Santos City on September 9, 2024.
Personnel from the Regional Maritime Unit 12 (HRMU12), General Santos Maritime Police Station (MARPSTA), Police Station 6, and the Bureau of Customs carried out the entrapment operation at the Khasmer Store, located in the Public Market of Barangay Dadiangas West. The operation targeted the illegal trade of smuggled cigarettes, a violation of Republic Act 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
During the operation, the suspect, identified only by the alias “Jay,” was apprehended for attempting to sell undocumented cigarettes. Authorities confiscated several items, including three pieces of marked money in one-thousand-peso bills and various cigarette brands. The seized items consisted of:
- Four reams of FORT Menthol (Green) cigarettes worth PhP1,320.00
- Two reams of Gajah Baru cigarettes valued at PhP840.00
- One master case containing 80 reams and 33 packs of Gajah Baru cigarettes worth PhP34,986.00
- Two reams and 24 packs of FORT Red cigarettes worth PhP1,068.00
- Three reams and six packs of FORT Menthol cigarettes valued at PhP1,092.00
The total market value of the confiscated cigarettes is estimated at PhP42,306.00.
The suspect, along with the confiscated cigarettes and other pieces of evidence, was brought to the Regional Maritime Unit 12 for documentation. The case is now under investigation by the Bureau of Customs, which will pursue appropriate legal action for the violation of RA 10863.
This operation is part of the ongoing efforts by local law enforcement agencies to combat smuggling activities and protect the country’s borders from the influx of illegal goods, as stipulated under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. PCOL Robert S. Daculan, Provincial Director of LDSPPO, lauded the successful operation and emphasized the importance of continued vigilance in the fight against smuggling.
