The Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 (Western Visayas) is intensifying its monitoring of coastal areas to prevent possible smuggling activities.

In an interview on Friday, August 2, PRO-6 Director, Brigadier General Jack Wanky, said this complies with instructions from the national headquarters to intensify the monitoring of coastal areas amid widespread smuggling apprehensions in Mindanao.

“We expect that they will also use our coastal areas. True enough, our recent accomplishment proves our assessment. The more that we order, especially those in the coastal areas, to be more vigilant and alert against illegal activities so they would not come into our area of responsibility,” Wanky said.

Last week, joint operatives of the Regional Maritime Unit 6’s 4th Special Operations Unit headquarters’ tracker team and the Carles/EB Magalona SBC Iloilo Maritime Police Station seized about P5.5 million worth of fake cigarettes.

The operation, conducted at the house of Donnel Jeruta in Barrio Obrero, Lapuz, yielded nine boxes of assorted fake cigarettes and firearms.

A subsequent raid was conducted in the warehouse of his alleged source, James Chiu Chen, a Chinese national residing in Barangay Lopez Jaena Sur, La Paz, which yielded 83 boxes of assorted fake cigarettes. (PNA)