ZAMBOANGA CITY – Some P1.4 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes were seized by security forces following a raid at a warehouse in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, the military said.
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| Photos released by the Western Mindanao Command show the seized smuggled cigarettes in the town of Indanan in Sulu province. (Mindanao Examiner) |
The Joint Task Force Sulu said soldiers and members of the Bureau of Customs confiscated at least 19,000 boxes of assorted cigarettes in the town of Indanan. It also tagged Faidasil Sakandal as the owner of the warehouse.
It was unclear whether Sakandal was also the owner of the contraband or if there were any arrests made.
Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, the task force commander, said Thursday’s operation involved the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion; the 35th, 21st, 45th, 41st, and 100th Infantry Battalions; 111th Division Reconnaissance Company; Naval Special Operations Unit-6; and the intelligence units.
“The operation targeted smuggled contrabands kept inside an identified warehouse owned by a certain Faidasil Sakandal. The operation resulted in the confiscation of 19,000 boxes of assorted brands of smuggled cigarettes with an estimated value of P1.425 billion,” he said.
Patrimonio said the contraband was transported and handed over to the Bureau of Customs in Zamboanga City.
Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, lauded the security forces for the seizure of the contraband. “Rest assured that we will continue to support the law enforcement operations of our partners from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and other agencies to curb smuggling and other illegal activities in our area of operation,” he said.
The haul was the biggest in the South where smuggling is rampant. (Mindanao Examiner)
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