P2-M ‘smuggled’ cigarettes in ice boxes seized in Lanao Norte

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Authorities intercepted over P2 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes cleverly concealed inside fish ice boxes during a checkpoint operation in Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte.Joint police and military operatives seized the contraband from an Isuzu Elf truck that was flagged down at a checkpoint in Barangay Libertad at 6:40 a.m. on Tuesday.A search of the vehicle yielded 2,602 reams of undocumented Castorce and Cannon cigarettes valued at P2.08 million, according to the Police Regional Office-10 (PRO-10).

READ: P7.2-M smuggled cigarettes seized in Zamboanga City; 8 arrestedMaj. Joann Navarro, Police Regional Office-10 (PRO-10) spokesperson, told the Inquirer on Wednesday the truck’s driver and three passengers, all residents of Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur, claimed ignorance of the contraband.“They said they were hired to transport the cargo to Opol, Misamis Oriental, believing the ice boxes actually contained fish based on their previous delivery runs, ” Navarro said.The four suspects, along with the seized truck and illicit cargo, are currently in police custody and will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for the filing of appropriate charges./coa