Kabacan, Cotabato – March 20, 2025 – A coordinated police operation led by the Police Regional Office 12 (PRO 12) resulted in the seizure of Php 7,936,580.00 worth of smuggled cigarettes along the National Highway in Sitio Malabuaya, Barangay Kayaga, Kabacan, Cotabato Province.
Under the leadership of PBGEN Arnold P. Ardiente, Regional Director of PRO 12, law enforcement personnel intercepted a ten-wheeler wing van truck suspected of transporting illicit cigarettes from Maguindanao del Norte. Acting on intelligence received by the Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit (RPDEU) 12, authorities monitored the vehicle as it traveled through Cotabato Province.
During surveillance, the truck stopped at the location where a Nissan Navara pickup approached. Upon sensing police presence, the truck driver quickly boarded the pickup and fled the scene, abandoning the vehicle.
Upon inspection, authorities discovered 202 boxes, equivalent to 10,100 reams of assorted smuggled cigarettes inside the abandoned truck. In coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in General Santos City, the contraband was inventoried and marked at the operation site, with a barangay official and a media representative present as witnesses.
The seized items were transported to the Kabacan Municipal Police Station (MPS), Cotabato Police Provincial Office (CPPO), for documentation before being turned over to the BOC General Santos City for proper disposition.
PBGEN Ardiente reaffirmed the police force’s commitment to eradicating illegal trade, stating, “We won’t stop until every illegal operation is shut down, every counterfeit product is gone, and everyone responsible is held accountable, all to create a safer and healthier future for everyone.”
Authorities continue to investigate the incident and pursue those responsible for the smuggling operation.
