BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
BACOLOD – Police authorities confiscated P2,340,000 worth of smuggled cigarettes and arrested three suspects around 6:08 a.m. on Tuesday, October 29, in Barangay San Juan, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.
The suspects were identified as aliases “Zubair”, 42, and “Abdul”, 40, both residents of the town’s Barangay Progreso, and “Nato”, 44, of Barangay 1, Isabela town.
Joint operatives of the Bacolod City Maritime Police Station (MARPSTA) under the leadership of Colonel Ervin Glenn Provido, chief of the Regional Maritime Unit 6 (RMU-6), Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Maritime Group 4th Special Operations Unit, Binalbagan Municipal Police Station, and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Region 6 recovered the following:
* 13 master cases of Delta brand cigarettes
* 50 reams of Platinum Seven brand cigarettes
* 100 reams of Dunston brand cigarettes
* 23 master cases of Tourism (menthol) brand cigarettes
* unspecified quantity of Cannon menthol brand cigarettes
* 24 master cases of Fort Menthol brand cigarettes
Also seized was an Isuzu closed van with temporary plate ADN7782.
The suspects are now under police custody, facing charges for violating Republic Act 10863, of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act./PN
