Caraga cops eye big syndicates in P3-B illegal cigarette shipment
SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR—Police authorities in the Caraga region are looking into the possible involvement of large crime syndicates in the Visayas and Mindanao in the shipment of about P3 billion worth of contraband cigarettes from Cebu City to Agusan del Norte last week.
Maj. Jennifer Ometer, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13), said the seized shipment contained smuggled cigarettes of various brands, including Modern, Nise, and Boosku, loaded in 54 container vans transported via Gothong Shipping Lines from Cebu City.
The shipment was intercepted on May 8 through a joint operation by PRO 13 personnel, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), and other law enforcement units at Gothong’s private port in Barangay Talisay, Nasipit.
Ometer said the inventory of the seized goods was completed only on Monday, with the contraband now under the custody of BOC-13, while police secure the 54 container vans.
She described the operation as one of the biggest antismuggling seizures in the Caraga region.
Fictitious names
Initial investigation showed that fictitious names were used for both the shipper and consignee, although authorities have yet to disclose further details.
An extensive investigation is ongoing to identify individuals and groups behind the shipment and to determine the extent of the smuggling network involved.
Earlier, police in Negros also uncovered a Chinese-linked illegal cigarette manufacturing operation supplying various parts of the country.
