SMUGGLED cigarettes worth more than P9.8 million were apprehended by the authorities while conducting strict search of vehicles passing thru a major road leading to Davao City.
Port of Davao District Collector Maita Acevedo, in a report to Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, said the successful interdiction occurred last January 16.
Acevedo said members of the joint ‘Task Force Toril,’ which is under the operational control of ‘Task Force Davao’ of the military, found the contraband inside a delivery truck painted over in red to look like that of an online courier service.
Acevedo said the cigarettes were concealed behind a row of blue crates and personal effects in an attempt by the still unnamed perpetrators to avoid detection.
The task force’s ground personnel immediately coordinated with the Port of Davao to further investigate the incident, Acevedo added.
An inventory disclosed the items consisted of 251 master cases of illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of P9.861 million.
In its press statement, the BOC declined to name the brand of the cigarettes, if any arrest was made and if the vehicle was also confiscated as part of the evidence.