P100,000 in smuggled cigarettes seized at checkpoint

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Police arrested a 45-year-old businessman for allegedly transporting smuggled cigarettes valued at P100,000 during a checkpoint operation in Barangay 1, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental on Monday night.

Police Major Ryan Villasario, deputy chief of the San Carlos Police Station, reported that officers flagged down a pickup truck at the checkpoint. When asked for a driver’s license, the suspect failed to present one.

In addition to lacking a license, Villasario noted that the driver also failed to provide pertinent documents for the cigarettes.

“The suspect refused to reveal the source of the alleged smuggled cigarettes,” Villasario said. He added that the case would be turned over to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for further action and complaint filing.