By CESAR JOLITO III
At least P49.3 million worth of alleged smuggled and illicit cigarettes were seized in police operations across Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, underscoring intensified enforcement against the illegal tobacco trade.
On Monday, April 13, authorities intercepted an estimated P25 million worth of illicit cigarettes in Himamaylan City’s Barangay To-oy at 5:20 a.m.
The operation stemmed from a tip by a confidential informant regarding the unloading of contraband from a 10-wheeler wing van.
Operatives conducted surveillance and caught the suspects in the act of unloading the illegal cargo, leading to the arrest of a truck driver identified as 43-year-old alias “Geo,” a resident of Negros Oriental’s Canlaon City.
Recovered from the site were approximately 500 master cases of cigarettes bearing unauthorized tax stamps and lacking mandated graphic health warning labels.
The suspect is now under police custody for proper legal disposition.
P21 million smuggled cigarettes
In a separate incident, about P21 million worth of alleged smuggled cigarettes were voluntarily surrendered during a checkpoint operation in Bacolod City’s Barangay Villamonte, at 3:00 a.m. yesterday.
Police Station 4 personnel noticed a white six-wheeler panel van stopping short of a checkpoint along the Circumferential Road.
The driver, identified as “Mar,” and his helper, alias “Ky,” approached authorities and disclosed the nature of their cargo.
Investigation revealed the two had been hired by an unidentified individual to transport the goods from an unknown warehouse.
However, after noticing suspicious markings on the boxes, they reported the matter and were instructed to proceed to the police station before encountering the checkpoint.
A search of the vehicle yielded 200 cigarette boxes and 15 boxes of another brand.
The items are now under police custody pending turnover to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for verification.
P3.3 million seizure in Himamaylan
Earlier on Monday, joint operatives from the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group seized P3.3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes at Sitio Mapait in Himamaylan City’s Barangay Suay.
The operation led to the arrest of one suspect and the confiscation of 66 master cases of assorted smuggled cigarettes, 45 reams of imported tobacco, and a utility vehicle used in transporting the illegal goods.
All seized items were turned over to the BIR District Office in Bacolod City, while the suspect faces inquest proceedings for violations of Republic Act Nos. 10643 and 10963.
PRO-NIR Regional Director Police Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay commended the operating units for their swift and coordinated actions, emphasizing the role of intelligence-driven operations in combating illicit trade.
The Philippine National Police reiterated that smuggling remains a serious economic offense that undermines government revenue and fair trade, assuring continued intensified operations across the region./CJ, WDJ