GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Authorities have intensified anti-smuggling operations following the seizure of 1,700 reams of smuggled cigarettes loaded in three mini-van cargo trucks estimated to be worth P19 million in a military checkpoint in Barangay Bawing, this city, last week.
Col. Ruben Aquino, Joint Task Force Gensan commander, said the contraband was intercepted after soldiers manning the checkpoint flagged these cargo trucks down after their drivers were acting suspiciously.
He said the exact worth of the smuggled cigarettes will be determined by the Bureau of Customs which had taken custody of the contraband and the vehicles used in transporting them.
These smuggled cigarettes reportedly came from Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat and supposed to be delivered to various distributors here. These were reportedly sourced out from Indonesia and sneaked into the coastal areas of Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat.
The Police Regional Office-12 had ordered an investigation into the proliferation of smuggled cigarettes in the Socsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and General Santos area) region following reports that some police personnel were allegedly involved in cigarette smuggling.
Police Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, PRO-12 director, had ordered an investigation against Police Corporal Nur Asdain, assigned with the police regional headquarters, whose name had reportedly cropped up as among the protectors of cigarette smuggling.
Macaraeg said Asdain was placed under investigation by the Regional Internal Affairs Service.