Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay – February 19, 2025 – Law enforcement agencies intercepted a shipment of smuggled cigarettes valued at PHP 1,432,500.00 in an anti-smuggling operation in Barangay Lutiman, Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Acting on information from a confidential informant, personnel from the Regional Intelligence Division 9, in coordination with the Alicia Municipal Police Station (MPS) and the 1st Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st ZSB PMFC), carried out the operation at around 5:30 PM. Authorities flagged down a green Suzuki Minivan with plate number JAU8539 along the Alicia-Olutanga Road, en route to Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Upon inspection, officers discovered twenty-five (25) master cases of Berlin cigarettes, amounting to PHP 1,432,500.00 based on the Bureau of Customs’ valuation of PHP 57,300.00 per case. The driver of the vehicle was apprehended on the spot.
The inventory of the seized contraband was conducted in the presence of representatives from the Municipal Health Office-Alicia, the Municipal Treasury of Alicia, and a Barangay Official. Both the arrested suspect and the confiscated goods were transported to the Alicia MPS for safekeeping and the filing of appropriate charges in court.
Provincial Director PCOL Barnard Danie V. Dasugo lauded the collaborative effort of the involved units and the community for providing crucial intelligence. He emphasized that continued vigilance and coordination among enforcement agencies and residents are vital in the fight against smuggling and other illicit activities.
Authorities reiterated their commitment to intensifying operations against smuggling to protect the province’s economy and uphold peace and order.
