ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY — Personnel of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) uncovered a stash of smuggled cigarettes hidden inside the baggage compartment of a passenger bus during a routine inspection at a border checkpoint in Tungawan town.
The discovery was made as veterinary officers conducted their regular animal inspection aimed at preventing the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF). While checking the luggage storage area of the bus, authorities found abandoned contraband consisting of 42 reams of Fort Menthol and 50 reams of Bravo Menthol cigarettes — all without any claimant.
The seized items, estimated to be worth over ₱100,000, were inventoried in the presence of a barangay councilor from Barangay San Pedro, Tungawan to ensure transparency.
Following the inventory, the PVO personnel turned over the illegal cigarettes to members of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (2nd PMFC) and the Tungawan Municipal Police Station (MPS) for proper disposition and further investigation.
Local authorities are now determining the source of the smuggled goods and the identities of those responsible for attempting to transport them across the province.