A JOINT anti-smuggling operation led to the seizure of an estimated P6.4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and the arrest of one individual in Barangay Zone 1, Digos City, Davao del Sur, on July 17.
The operation, spearheaded by operatives from the Regional Intelligence Division XI and the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit XI, was conducted in close coordination with the Digos City Police Station and the Bureau of Customs-Davao.
Authorities apprehended a suspect identified only by the alias Joy, who was charged with violating Republic Act 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and Republic Act 10643, which pertains to the Graphic Health Warning Law on tobacco products.
Police recovered approximately 128 master cases of assorted smuggled cigarettes, with the total street value estimated at P6,400,000.
Brig Gen Joseph R. Arguelles, acting regional director of Police Regional Office XI, said the operation was part of their intensified campaign against all forms of criminality, with a particular focus on smuggling.
The arrested suspect is currently under the custody of the Digos City Police Station.
Photo courtesy of PRO XI
