Highway patrol operatives inspect the suspected smuggled cigarettes seized during law enforcement operations along the national highway in Barangay Sadaan, Midsayap, Cotabato. The drivers tried to evade inspection by speeding past the checkpoint but were later arrested. — Photo courtesy of Cotabato Highway Patrol Group
COTABATO CITY — Police arrested two men and seized an estimated P2.8 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes during a checkpoint operation in Midsayap, Cotabato, authorities said.
The suspects, each driving a Toyota HiAce van, were flagged down by joint operatives of the Cotabato Highway Patrol Team and the Midsayap Municipal Police Station at a checkpoint along the national highway in Barangay Sadaan on Thursday afternoon, July 23.
The checkpoint was part of intensified law enforcement efforts aimed at curbing vehicle theft, enforcing traffic regulations, and preventing smuggling activities.
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