Police authorities in the Bangsamoro Region have confiscated about P1.9 million worth of smuggled cigarettes and arrested three men in separate law enforcement operations in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte in the past two days.
Brig. Gen. Jaysen de Guzman, regional director of the Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), said operatives of the municipal police station in Marantao, Lanao del Sur arrested two men during a law enforcement operation along the Narciso Ramos Highway in Barangay Daana-ingud at about 2 p.m. on Friday.
He named the suspects as ‘Alias Mangorsi,’ 26, and ‘Alias Bonsalagan,’ 20, a helper, both of Pualas town in Lanao del Sur.
They were on board a Toyota Revo car (Plate No. XCU-205) when flagged at a checkpoint. Police found and seized from the suspects 42 cases of imported cigarettes worth P1,648,500.
Earlier, policemen in South Upi, Maguindanao del Norte flagged down a Toyota Innova (KDB 552) at a police outpost in Barangay Romongaob at about 3 p.m. on Thursday.
De Guzman said police arrested its driver, Keneth Fruta Mayao, 30, a resident of Davao City.
Seized from him were 375 reams of smuggled cigarettes and the vehicle.