CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Authorities in Northern Mindanao confiscated an estimated Php 1.8 million worth of smuggled cigarettes during a checkpoint operation in Damulog, Bukidnon on April 17, 2025.
Personnel from the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO10), along with members of the 1003rd Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 10, Damulog Municipal Police Station, Bukidnon Police Provincial Office, and Delta Company of the 89th Infantry Battalion, 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, carried out the operation at the Regional Border Control Point in Purok 1, Barangay Omonay.
During the operation, a red Bonggo Mazda truck sped past the checkpoint and rammed through a barricade, prompting a brief pursuit. Authorities later discovered the vehicle abandoned about a kilometer away. The driver, who remains unidentified, fled in an unknown direction.
Upon inspection, operatives uncovered 45 master cases of suspected smuggled white Fort menthol cigarettes inside the truck. The items lacked the required health warning labels and were estimated to have a total market value of Php 1.8 million, according to the Bureau of Customs’ valuation.
The seized cigarettes and the abandoned truck were turned over to the Damulog Municipal Police Station and are set to be handed over to the Bureau of Customs Region 10 for proper disposition.
PRO10 Regional Director PBGen Jaysen C. De Guzman lauded the coordinated efforts of the police and military teams involved in the operation.
“I commend the operating units for their vigilance and teamwork. Smuggling activities will not be tolerated under my watch, and we will intensify our efforts—especially at all control border points across Northern Mindanao—to ensure that no illegal activities pass through our area of responsibility,” De Guzman said.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident as part of their ongoing crackdown on smuggling and other illegal activities in the region.
