Authorities confiscated an estimated ₱2 million worth of alleged smuggled cigarettes during a routine checkpoint operation in Barangay Tambo, Munai, Lanao del Norte, late Friday morning, May 23, intensifying the government’s campaign against illicit trade in Northern Mindanao.
The successful anti-smuggling operation was carried out at around 11:50 a.m. by personnel of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) of the Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office (LDN PPO), in coordination with the Lanao del Norte Maritime Police Station (MARPSTA), Provincial Intelligence Unit-Lanao del Norte (PIU-LDN), 1005th Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB-10), and the Munai Municipal Police Station (MMPS).
Authorities flagged down three vehicles during the checkpoint inspection: a black Toyota Revo bearing plate number XAW 162 driven by a 22-year-old resident of Barangay Lamac, Bacolod, Lanao del Norte; a maroon Isuzu Crosswind with plate number WOP 152 driven by a 41-year-old resident of Barangay Liangan West, Maigo, Lanao del Norte; and a brown Toyota Revo with plate number WTP 431 driven by a 21-year-old resident of Barangay West Liangan, Maigo, Lanao del Norte.
Checkpoint personnel reportedly noticed boxes loaded in the rear compartments of the vehicles that were plainly visible and suspected to contain smuggled cigarettes. Upon inspection, the drivers allegedly failed to present valid documents proving the lawful transport, ownership, and origin of the goods.
Law enforcers immediately detained the vehicles and their drivers for verification and further investigation. A barangay official from Barangay Tambo was also summoned to witness the seizure and inventory of the confiscated items in compliance with established legal procedures.
Authorities recovered a total of 50 master cases, equivalent to 2,500 reams of assorted cigarettes, with an estimated market value of ₱2,000,000.
The drivers were subsequently brought to the Munai Municipal Police Station for proper disposition, while the confiscated cigarettes and vehicles used in transporting the alleged contraband remain under the custody of the 1st PMFC, LDN PPO. The seized items are expected to be turned over to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for appropriate action and further investigation.
Bureau of Customs is expected to conduct further verification on the origin and legality of the confiscated cigarette products as authorities pursue possible violations of customs and anti-smuggling laws.
Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Director PCOL Leo De Leon Sua commended the operating units for the successful interdiction and emphasized the importance of sustained inter-agency cooperation in curbing the illegal cigarette trade.
“This successful interdiction underscores the effectiveness of our intensified checkpoint operations and inter-agency collaboration in preventing the entry and distribution of smuggled goods in Lanao del Norte. We remain steadfast in enforcing the law and protecting legitimate commerce against illicit trade,” Sua said.
The Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office said it will continue strengthening intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operations and checkpoint monitoring across the province as part of efforts to protect economic security, maintain peace and order, and dismantle illegal trading networks operating in the region.