SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte—Police intercepted more than ₱1.5 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes and arrested four individuals during a nighttime checkpoint operation in Barangay Dalumangcob on Monday, November 24.
According to reports from the Sultan Kudarat Municipal Police Station, officers were manning a routine checkpoint past 9 p.m. when they noticed two vehicles acting suspiciously. The drivers reportedly stayed at a distance from the checkpoint before eventually proceeding forward, prompting authorities to flag them down.
Police said the drivers appeared anxious and unsettled during questioning. When officers directed them to switch on their interior lights and open their windows, cartons of suspected smuggled cigarettes were immediately visible inside the vehicles.
An inventory showed the contraband had an estimated market value of ₱1,511,125.
The suspects were identified as individuals known only by the alias “Mark,” and companions Fhadzri, Laila, and Verhama. They are now under the custody of the Sultan Kudarat–Maguindanao del Norte Police.
Charges for violation of customs and smuggling laws are being readied as authorities continue to investigate the source and destination of the intercepted items.