PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — Authorities arrested a 38-year-old construction worker and confiscated an estimated ₱5.73 million worth of alleged smuggled cigarettes during an intelligence-driven anti-smuggling operation late Wednesday night, May 6, in Barangay Kawit, this city.
The operation was carried out at around 10:30 p.m. in Purok Talisay B by joint operatives of the Zamboanga del Sur Police Intelligence Unit (ZSPIU), the Pagadian City Police Station, and the 902nd Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 9 (RMFB9).
Police identified the suspect as a resident of Pagadian City who was allegedly involved in the illegal trade and distribution of untaxed cigarette products in the area.
Authorities said the entrapment operation resulted in the seizure of large volumes of cigarettes believed to have been smuggled into the country and sold without the required Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax stamps and graphic health warning labels mandated under Philippine law.
Recovered from the suspect were 92 master cases of Diamond cigarettes, seven master cases of Guiyan cigarettes, and one master case of Huanghelou cigarettes.
Investigators estimated the total street value of the confiscated items at approximately ₱5.73 million.
Police said the operation forms part of the intensified campaign against smuggling and other illegal economic activities in Zamboanga del Sur, particularly the proliferation of untaxed tobacco products that continue to undermine government revenue collection and public health regulations.
The suspect and the confiscated cigarette shipments were brought to the Pagadian City Police Station for proper documentation and disposition, while authorities prepare the filing of appropriate charges against the arrested individual.
Officials emphasized that the successful operation highlights the strengthened coordination among law enforcement agencies in curbing illicit trade activities in the province.
Authorities also warned traders and distributors engaged in illegal cigarette smuggling that intensified intelligence and enforcement operations will continue across the region as part of the government’s crackdown on economic sabotage and contraband operations.