Manila, June 16 -- Twenty-one individuals, including five minors, were arrested while PHP70 million worth of smuggled cigarettes were seized during anti-smuggling operations in Lanao del Sur over the weekend.

The operations, conducted in three sites in Barangay Liyangan in Picong municipality on Sunday, stemmed from confirmed intelligence reports regarding storage areas for smuggled products, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

Authorities seized 1,800 master cases of Berlin, Cannon, Fort, Greenhill, Bosque, and Modern cigarettes believed to have been smuggled into the country.

An M14 rifle was also recovered from one of the warehouses.

"We are now preparing criminal charges against those arrested and all those who are...