ILOILO City – Authorities have launched a more aggressive crackdown on cigarette smuggling in Western Visayas following the back-to-back confiscation of over P13 million worth of contraband tobacco products in Iloilo and Bacolod cities within just two weeks.
Police Major Janvier Gilza of the Regional Maritime Unit 6 (RMU-6) said all maritime units, including the Special Operations Unit (SOU) from Manila, have heightened monitoring efforts after the recent success of interdiction efforts.
“We are now intensifying our campaign against cigarette smugglers with the help of the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and we are thankful to the public for giving us information that led to these positive operations,” said Gilza.
The more recent operation, conducted on July 2 at the Old Airport in Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, resulted in the confiscation of 149 boxes of smuggled cigarettes estimated at P8.3 million. Three individuals, including the buyer, were arrested after maritime operatives responded to reports of a suspicious motorboat docking in the area.
Leading the operation was Police Major Kent Jerek Capadosa, acting commander of the Maritime Police 4th Special Operations Unit (SOU-4). The arrested suspects face charges under Republic Act (RA) 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and RA 10643 or the Graphic Health Warnings Law. Tax evasion raps are also being prepared, as the goods did not undergo proper taxation processes, the BIR noted.
Prior to this, on June 18, RMU-6, in coordination with the BOC and BIR, seized P5 million worth of cigarettes during an anti-smuggling operation in Barangay Tacas, Jaro district, Iloilo City.
The suspects, identified as Ronilo Sanchez, 29, a truck driver from Molo district, and Marko Delgado, 23, of Aklan, were initially caught with P22,000 worth of cigarettes. They later led authorities to a warehouse in Barangay Tacas where 3,200 reams of cigarettes valued at P4.845 million were recovered.
Both individuals are also facing charges under Republic Act 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act).
Gilza said collaboration with barangay officials has proven vital in monitoring the movements of smugglers. He added that RMU-6 will sustain the momentum in order to disrupt the growing trade of untaxed tobacco products in the region./PN
