MARAWI CITY, Philippines — The police foiled Thursday an attempt by three men to sneak 68 boxes of smuggled cigarettes into Lanao del Sur.
Police Col. Rex Derilo, director of the Lanao del Sur provincial police, said Friday that Owen Lestojas, Michael Gonzaga and Reyson Ab-a are now detained after being intercepted by police at Saguiaran town in Lanao del Sur.
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Theye were carrying the smuggled cigarettes in a truck.
Police inspected the truck and discovered its cargo of 68 large boxes — each containing 50 reams of San Marino cigarettes — after the suspects failed to present travel and health permits required by a provincial anti-COVID-19 task force. A ream contains 10 cigarette packets of 20 sticks each.
The confiscated cigarettes were said to have come from Malaysia although San Marino is a brand of cigarettes sold in Paraguay and in Brazil.
Derilo said he has requested the office of the Bureau of Customs in Cagayan de Oro City to help probers build criminal cases against Lestojas, Gonzaga and Aba-a.