The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced on Thursday that its agents seized smuggled cigarettes valued at approximately P11.5 million in Tahil, Sulu.
In a joint operation on August 4 involving the NBI-Western Mindanao Regional Office, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC), authorities intercepted a group suspected of illegally importing smuggled cigarettes.
The operation resulted in the seizure of a pump boat carrying around 200 master cases, or 100,000 packs, of smuggled cigarettes. The contraband is valued at P17.5 million when accounting for the P6 million in lost taxes.
Despite the successful seizure, the suspected smugglers evaded capture after detecting the approaching authorities and fleeing the scene. The confiscated cigarettes have been handed over to the BOC Sub-Port Sulu.
The NBI indicated that the operation was initiated based on information regarding the transshipment of counterfeit products within the Sulu Archipelago.