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CRIME THUMBNAIL-CRIME

Karen De Guzman

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA - A police officer was among four suspects arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) after they were caught transporting allegedly smuggled cigarettes in Iligan City on Friday.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1977636819438342372&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-10-13T09%3A09%3A49.775964%3A1f45bf68-dfe5-4718-bfbe-e4fb6e01b9b6%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=5b89984a91647db630507c091ac0554e94fc816f&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:671px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1977636819438342372"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>Personnel from the City Highway Patrol Team (CHPT)–Iligan were conducting a plate-spotting and anti-carnapping operation, when they attempted to flag down a black pickup truck.</p><p>The said vehicle sped away, prompting a brief chase that ended with the suspects being intercepted by police.</p><p>“They got away from one checkpoint to another, that&#x27;s why hinabol siya doon,” Police Colonel Hansel Marantan, Acting Director of the PNP-HPG said.</p><p>Upon inspection, authorities discovered several boxes of suspected smuggled cigarettes inside the vehicle.</p><p>A 9mm pistol and two magazines loaded with 30 live rounds were also recovered from the scene.</p><p>One of the arrested suspects was identified as a police staff sergeant assigned to a municipal police station in Lanao del Norte.</p><p>Investigators are now verifying if he was leading the group.</p><p>“I supposed [siya ang leader], staff sergeant. Pero initial investigation, sabi niya hindi raw. It’s yet to be investigated,” Marantan said.</p><p>Authorities were also found a 14-year-old minor among the group.</p><p>The child has been turned over to the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) for proper handling.</p><p>Marantan said groups involved in illicit activities may face heavier charges, especially if the value of the smuggled goods exceeds ₱10 million.</p><p>“That&#x27;s the point of the meeting kanina with the chief PNP. We have to get to the bottom. At saka medyo lethal na ‘yung ipina-file na kaso. If the value is more than P10 million, they’ll fine that special law. And that&#x27;s no bail,” he explained.</p><p>“We are now investigating the police officer&#x27;s involvement, and rest assured: we will not protect our own if the law has been violated,” he added.</p><p>The suspects are now facing multiple charges, including Illegal possession of firearms, Resistance and disobedience to a person in authority and violations of customs and anti-smuggling laws.</p>

<p>A police officer was among four suspects arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) after they were caught transporting allegedly smuggled cigarettes in Iligan City on Friday.</p>

A police officer was among four suspects arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) after they were caught transporting allegedly smuggled cigarettes in Iligan City on Friday.

Cop, 3 others nabbed for transporting smuggled cigarettes in Iligan City

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Cop, 3 others nabbed for transporting smuggled cigarettes in Iligan City

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 13, 2025 04:49 PM PHT

Read More:

PNP

HPG

crime

smuggled cigarettes

Philippine National Police

Iligan City

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