Authorities seized smuggled cigarettes worth PHP 2.25 million during an operation in Astorga, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. The discovery came as police served a warrant of arrest for statutory rape against a suspect identified only as “Alias Badi.”
According to the Sta. Cruz Municipal Police Station, officers were executing the arrest warrant when they stumbled upon 2,500 reams of undocumented cigarettes. The suspect failed to provide proper documentation for the items, leading to their immediate confiscation.
The suspect is now in police custody, and additional charges for violating Republic Act 10643, or the Graphic Health Warnings Law, and Republic Act 12022, the Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, are being prepared.
Authorities are treating the case as a double blow against criminality—targeting both illegal trade and serious criminal offenses.
This operation underscores the ongoing campaign to curb smuggling and illegal activities in Davao del Sur. Meanwhile, police continue to investigate the suspect’s involvement in broader networks of smuggling and crime.
The seized cigarettes will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposal as authorities ramp up their fight against illegal goods in the region.
