About P594,000 worth of alleged illicit cigarettes were recovered from an abandoned panel truck in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 20.
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office said its Provincial Intelligence Unit discovered the Mitsubishi panel truck at around 3:45 p.m. in Sitio Tapol, Brgy. Salong.
Police said an informant earlier reported that a suspicious vehicle had been parked inside a private lot for about five days.
Operatives who checked the area found the truck unattended and discovered boxes of cigarettes inside.
Authorities recovered 22 master cases of Concept cigarettes, with each case containing 50 reams.
Police said the shipment totaled about 1,100 reams with an estimated market value of P594,000.
The panel truck was also taken into police custody.
No person was found with the vehicle at the time of its discovery, and authorities have yet to identify who owned or transported the cigarettes.
The seized items were turned over to the Kabankalan Component City Police Station and are expected to be referred to the appropriate enforcement agencies for proper disposition.
Police are continuing their investigation to determine the source and intended destination of the shipment and identify persons who may be involved.*
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