(Photo courtesy of PIA)
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Police confiscated an estimated Php 295,000 worth of undocumented cigarettes during a checkpoint operation in Barangay Tactac, Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya.
Nueva Vizcaya Police Provincial Office (NVPPO) director Col. Paul Bometivo said the cigarettes were discovered inside a Mitsubishi Montero Sport traveling toward Cagayan Valley.
According to Bometivo, officers conducting a routine inspection spotted several boxes of cigarettes while examining the driver’s documents.
“While our policemen were checking the driver’s documents, they noticed the boxes containing the cigarettes inside the car. Furthermore, the boxes of cigarettes have no legal documents,” Bometivo said.
Authorities recovered two boxes of Cannon Menthol cigarettes valued at Php 55,000 and eight boxes of Modern cigarettes worth Php 240,000.
Police said the driver faces charges for alleged violations of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) over the transportation of undocumented tobacco products.
The vehicle and confiscated cigarettes were placed under police custody pending further investigation and appropriate legal proceedings.
Bometivo commended the officers involved for their vigilance, saying the operation demonstrated the police force’s commitment to preventing the distribution of illicit goods.
The NVPPO assured the public that checkpoint operations and enforcement measures would continue across the province to curb the transport and distribution of illegal products.
