Police Arrest Suspect with Millions in Smuggled Cigarettes
A police officer announced on Monday that authorities in southern Zamboanga province, Philippines, arrested a suspect and seized more than 1.7 million Philippine pesos (approximately 21,000 yuan or $3,600 USD) worth of smuggled cigarettes during a raid.
Verceles, the head of the police operations in the Western Mindanao region, stated that Alrosell Esparaguera, aged 46, was apprehended around 3:40 pm on Sunday in the barangay of Arnolandia, South Tres Tabernas in Aurora.
Verceles stated that the Aurora police set up a checkpoint after receiving a call from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Pagadian sub-office, informing them that a shipment of smuggled cigarettes was heading to the area.
Esparagrain was arrested for failing to present documents for the goods he transported from Sanbao Yan to the province.
So far this month, authorities including the police and customs have confiscated smuggled cigarettes worth 37.7 million pesos (about 4.76 million Chinese yuan) in a series of anti-smuggling operations in the region.
The largest anti-smuggling operation seized smuggled cigarettes worth 25 million Philippine pesos (approximately 3.16 million yuan) on December 8 here.
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