Manila, April 14 -- Three police operations in the cities of Bacolod and Himamaylan in Negros Occidental yielded a total of PHP49.3 million in smuggled cigarettes, reports of the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) showed.

On Tuesday, two persons, a van driver and his helper, reported to police officers manning a checkpoint in Barangay Villamonte here that they were transporting suspected smuggled cigarettes.

"The two were hired by an unidentified individual to transport the cargo from an unknown warehouse. Upon noticing suspicious markings on the boxes, they immediately informed their employer, who instructed them to proceed to Bacolod City Police Station 4," the investigation report said.

On their way to the police ...