Authorities have seized smuggled cigarettes worth more than ₱200 million in a joint operation conducted by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
The operation, carried out last week in Quezon City and Caloocan City, led to the confiscation of a massive haul of illegal tobacco products.
On September 12, authorities intercepted 1.7 million packs of smuggled cigarettes valued at ₱184 million in Quezon City. Three individuals—a Chinese national and two Filipinos—were arrested in connection with the illegal trade.
In a follow-up operation, the CIDG and BIR seized 170 boxes of smuggled cigarettes in Caloocan City, with an estimated street value of ₱12.7 million.
Both agencies have vowed to continue their efforts to combat the smuggling of cigarettes and other goods, emphasizing that such activities result in significant losses to government revenues if allowed to enter the market undetected.