• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
An estimated P75,000 worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes were seized by the police on Sunday, along the national highway of Barangay Baliwagan in San Enrique, Negros Occidental.
The confiscation was made a day after the Regional Maritime Unit – Negros Island Region and local policemen seized more than P11 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Brgy. Talaban, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
Authorities arrested alias Roger, a 56-year-old laborer, who was caught in the possession of smuggled cigarettes, being loaded on his Honda TMX tricycle.
The suspect, who is now detained at the San Enrique Police Station custodial facility, faces charges for violating Section 1401 of Republic Act 10863 (Unlawful Importation) and Section 6 of Republic Act 10643 (Graphic Health Warnings on Tobacco Products Act of 2014).
On the other hand, four drug suspects were arrested by the police in separate buy bust operations on Sunday in cities Silay City and Toboso, Negros Occidental, for violation of RA 9165, known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.
Three of the four suspected drug peddlers that were apprehended were nabbed in Silay City, yielding about 15 grams of suspected shabu, valued at P102,000.*
