Camp Alagar, Cagayan de Oro City – June 17, 2025 — Authorities from the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO10) seized an estimated ₱450,400 worth of alleged smuggled cigarettes during a checkpoint operation in Barangay Bauyan, Sultan Naga Dimaporo (SND), Lanao del Norte early Tuesday morning.
The operation was conducted at around 4:40 a.m. at the Bauyan Regional Border Control Point by personnel of the 1005th Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 10 (RMFB 10), in coordination with the SND Municipal Police Station and the Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office (LDN PPO).
The suspect, identified only by the alias “Eping,” a 27-year-old market laborer from Barangay Buenavista, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, was apprehended while transporting boxes of cigarettes onboard a metallic gray Toyota Avanza.
According to authorities, the vehicle was flagged down for inspection, during which operatives observed several boxes of cigarettes in plain view. Upon verification, the driver failed to present legal documents for the transport of the items, prompting authorities to seize the cargo.
Confiscated from the vehicle were:
- Seven (7) master cases of Green Canon Mentol cigarettes
- Four (4) large transparent cellophane bags containing 50 reams each of Fort Mentol brand
- One (1) large cellophane bag containing 13 reams of Fort Mentol
- Three (3) reams of Canon Green Mentol
- Nine (9) reams of Black Fort Mentol
- One (1) ream of New Far cigarettes
- The Toyota Avanza used for transport
Initial investigation revealed that the cigarettes originated from Tikong, Lanao del Sur, and were intended for distribution in Sultan Naga Dimaporo.
The suspect, along with the vehicle and the seized contraband, is currently under the custody of the SND Municipal Police Station and will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs in Iligan City for proper documentation and disposition.
PRO10 Regional Director PBGen Jaysen C. De Guzman praised the swift and coordinated response of the operating units. “The vigilance and collaboration of our personnel on the ground continue to play a key role in curbing smuggling activities in Northern Mindanao,” he said.
Authorities have reiterated their call for the public to report suspicious activities and affirmed that operations will remain intensified to ensure the region remains free from smuggled and illegal goods.