SULTAN NAGA DIMAPORO, Lanao del Norte — Authorities have intercepted an estimated ₱1 million worth of smuggled cigarettes during a late-night shoreline patrol in Sitio Damak, Barangay Bangaan, dealing another blow to the persistent illegal cigarette trade along Northern Mindanao’s coastal areas.
The seizure was made at around 8:30 p.m. on January 26, 2026, following a coordinated operation by the Sultan Naga Dimaporo Municipal Police Station, the 1005th Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 10, and the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, acting on intelligence from a confidential informant.
Police said the informant tipped authorities off about the unloading of illicit cigarettes from small watercraft along the shoreline. Responding units immediately conducted patrol operations in the area, where they discovered 25 boxes of assorted cigarette brands abandoned on the beach.
While several suspects managed to flee aboard the boats, operatives successfully cornered and arrested one individual identified only by the alias “Tenter,” a fisherman and resident of the area, who was allegedly acting as a laborer during the unloading of the contraband.
An on-site inventory was conducted in the presence of barangay officials, including a barangay kagawad of Barangay Sugod, to ensure transparency and proper documentation. Authorities reported that the confiscated items consisted of 15 boxes of red Astro cigarettes, five boxes of red San Diego, and five boxes of green San Diego, all suspected to be smuggled and lacking proper tax markings.
The arrested suspect and the seized cigarettes are now under the custody of the Sultan Naga Dimaporo Municipal Police Station for further investigation and proper disposition. Police said appropriate criminal charges related to the illegal trade of cigarettes are being prepared against the suspect.
Law enforcement officials stressed that the operation underscores the government’s intensified campaign against smuggling, which not only deprives the state of much-needed tax revenues but also fuels other forms of organized crime. Authorities also renewed their call for community cooperation, urging residents to report suspicious coastal activities as efforts continue to clamp down on illicit trade in the province.