By Edwin Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – Alert police and Philippine Marines personnel thwarted an attempt to smuggle imported cigarettes worth approximately P17.6 million in Maguindanao del Norte on Monday afternoon.
Police found 300 master cases of suspected smuggled cigarettes concealed inside the wing van driven by “Khalid,” 40, a resident of Barangay Bugasan Norte in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte.
“The contraband was covered by huge piles of coconuts,” said Lt. Patrick Generoso M. Gascon, platoon leader of the police’s 3rd Maneuver Platoon of the 1401st Regional Mobile Force Battalion-14A.
Brig. Gen. Christopher Abecia, regional director of Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), said Khalid evaded a police inspection at a checkpoint, prompting police personnel to chase the wing van.
Pursuing police personnel traced the white wing van truck to a compound in Barangay Nituan used for buying and selling coconuts at around 1:30 p.m.
The cigarettes are set for turnover to the Bureau of Customs on Tuesday for appropriate action, while the suspect is detained at Parang Municipal Police Station, awaiting the formal filing of charges. (PNA)
