Jolo, Sulu — Authorities confiscated ₱1.6 million worth of smuggled cigarettes during a routine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) checkpoint along Lagundi Drive, Zone 3, Barangay Tulay on the evening of April 8, 2025.
Personnel from the Jolo Municipal Police Station, in coordination with the 1404th Regional Mobile Force Company (RMFB14-B), discovered 45 boxes of New Far brand cigarettes hidden inside an abandoned red Toyota Tamaraw FX with no license plates parked a few meters from the checkpoint.
The vehicle drew suspicion for its unusual position near the checkpoint, prompting officers to inspect it. Upon checking, they found the cigarettes neatly packed in the back of the vehicle. Authorities attempted to trace the owner, but no one came forward, and no suspects were found in the vicinity.
The seized contraband, valued at ₱37,000 per box, totaled an estimated market value of ₱1,665,000. Both the vehicle and the cigarettes are now in police custody and will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper documentation and legal procedures.
Police Brigadier General Romeo J. Macapaz, Regional Director of the Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR), lauded the operatives for their alertness and commitment to the government’s campaign against smuggling and illegal trade.
“This operation is proof of our personnel’s vigilance and determination to enforce the law. I urge all units to sustain the drive and pursue those behind these unlawful activities,” Macapaz said in a statement.
Authorities continue their efforts to identify the individuals behind the smuggling attempt as part of the region’s intensified anti-illegal trade operations.