P65,000 worth of liquor confiscated at checkpoint

A DRIVER was caught trying to sneak P65,000 worth of liquor past a checkpoint in Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District on Saturday.

The suspect was identified as Renaldo del Mundon Tumanda, 42, a resident of J.P. Laurel, Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

Col. Kirby John Kraft, Davao City Police Office chief, said a concerned citizen tipped their office concerning a white L300 van with plate number LFH 213 carrying boxes of hard liquor. The vehicle was supposedly bound for Malabog Proper.

Personnel of the Paquibato Police Station manning the checkpoint, under the supervision of Capt. Mervin Montecillo, were alerted about the report. When they saw the van, they ordered the driver to open the cab.

Inside, they found 35 boxes of Tanduay Longneck and 15 boxes of Tanduay Senior, worth more or less P65,000.

The driver is currently detained in the Paquibato Police Station. He faces as a case for violating R.A 11332 in relation to E.O No 33 Par. 18 series of 2020, which prohibits the delivery and sale of alcoholic drinks. The van was also impounded by the authorities.

In a previous report, the DCPO and the Vices Regulation Unit have reported that they collectively caught 196 individuals for selling and drinking alcoholic drinks from March to June this year.

Kraft gave credit to the concerned citizens for volunteering information leading to the apprehension of the violators.
“We received tips from various Davaoeños that led to the arrest of these individuals. We actually encourage more Davaoeños to inform us if they see people violating the liquor ban,” Kraft had said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ashley Lopez, Vices Regulation Unit head, noted that retailers are now selling liquor online after their physical stores were ordered closed due to the lockdown. The liquor ban in the city, as part of the community quarantine, started on April 6.