Police operations against cigarette smuggling in Palawan and Puerto Princesa City led to the arrest of 47 people and the confiscation of cigarette products and other items worth an estimated P37.16 million from January to September this year, police said.
The Mimaropa police conducted 31 operations from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, according to accomplishment reports from the Palawan Police Provincial Office (PPO) and the Puerto Princesa City Police Office (PPCPO).
The Palawan PPO conducted 15 operations, resulting in 18 arrests and the confiscation of items valued at P6.53 million.
The PPCPO, meanwhile, recorded 16 operations, leading to the arrest of 29 people and the seizure of items estimated at P30.62 million.
The largest single seizure was made by the PPCPO on June 9, when police confiscated 188 master cases of cigarettes valued at about P28.68 million.
The seized cigarette products were turned over to the Bureau of Customs and placed under its custody for appropriate disposition in connection with alleged violations of Republic Act No. 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Brig. Gen. Christopher R. Dela Cruz, Mimaropa police director, called for stronger intelligence gathering and interagency coordination to prevent smuggled cigarettes from entering the region’s markets.
‘We have to know where these cigarettes are coming from, who is bringing them in, and where they are being distributed,’ Dela Cruz said.
Dela Cruz said suppressing cigarette smuggling would also help legitimate businesses that comply with government regulations.