SOURCE: RPIO PRO10
CAMP ALAGAR, Cagayan de Oro City — In a major enforcement effort against the smuggling of cigarettes, Police Regional Office 10 successfully confiscated a total of ₱2,045,760.00 worth of smuggled cigarettes in two separate operations conducted on May 5, 2025.
In the first operation, personnel from the City Mobile Force Company – Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, together with the City Intelligence Unit and Police Station 2 (COCPO), seized a total of 72 packs of assorted illegal cigarettes from various stalls owned by unidentified vendors during an anti-smuggling operation at Cogon Market, Cagayan de Oro City. The seized items have an estimated market value of ₱5,760.00, based on the prevailing price of ₱80.00 per pack. The confiscated items were brought to PS2, COCPO, and will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for proper disposition.
Later that same day, personnel from the Sultan Naga Dimaporo Municipal Police Station, Lanao del Norte, together with other supporting units, conducted another successful operation and discovered a large stash of contraband cigarettes hidden in a hut along the shoreline of Sitio Damac, Barangay Bangaan, Sultan Naga Dimaporo.
According to the report, SND MPS received a tip from a confidential informant about a bundle of smuggled cigarettes stored in the area. Upon arrival, operatives found an abandoned hut and an empty boat. Several boxes of smuggled cigarettes were discovered both inside and outside the hut, allegedly owned by a local resident known only as alias “Mon.” The suspects, however, managed to escape upon detecting the presence of law enforcement.
The confiscated items included 19 boxes (master cases) of New Far brand, 19 boxes of Modern brand, 2 boxes of Berlin brand, and 11 boxes of Fort brand—for a total of 51 boxes with an estimated market value of ₱2,040,000.00 (valued at ₱40,000.00 per box). The items were brought back to SND MPS for documentation and will be turned over following proper procedures.
PBGEN JAYSEN C. DE GUZMAN, Regional Director of PRO 10, commended the personnel involved in the operations for their vigilance and commitment in the fight against smuggling.
“Our fight against illegal tobacco trade is not just about seizing contraband—it’s about reminding the public that we will not allow anyone to compromise public health or evade taxes meant to support our communities. These operations are a testament to the continuous efforts of our personnel to safeguard the welfare of the people and uphold the rule of law,” he said.
#SaBagongPilipinasAngGustongPulisLigtasKa #ToServeandProtect
