VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon – Authorities intercepted smuggled cigarettes valued at ₱2,280,000 during a joint law enforcement operation in Barangay Batangan on August 13, 2025.
The Regional Special Operations Unit (RSOU) 10, in coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Valencia City Police Station, launched the operation at around 4:15 p.m. in Grandmeadows Subdivision, Purok 4-B, following validated intelligence reports.
From a public vantage point, operatives spotted stacks of suspected smuggled cigarettes stored on the balcony of a rented house with its gate left open. The property was allegedly being used as a warehouse. The sighting prompted immediate coordination with barangay officials and BOC personnel for verification and proper seizure procedures.
Confiscated during the operation were:
- 10 cellophane packs of TITAN brand cigarettes
- 8 boxes/cases of TITAN brand cigarettes
- 38 boxes/cases of GROW brand cigarettes
- 1 box/case of VESS brand cigarettes
All seized items were inventoried on-site in the presence of a barangay official and BOC representatives. They were later brought to the Valencia City Police Station for safekeeping and will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.
Authorities identified a certain “Abdul,” a resident of Iligan City, as the alleged owner of the contraband. He remains at large as a follow-up investigation is underway to trace the source of the smuggled goods.
Police Regional Office 10 Regional Director PBGEN Rolindo M. Suguilon lauded the successful operation.
“PRO10 will sustain its close coordination with the Bureau of Customs and other law enforcement agencies to prevent the proliferation of smuggled goods in Northern Mindanao. I commend RSOU 10 and Valencia CPS for their diligence and teamwork,” Suguilon said.
The seizure is part of the government’s intensified campaign against smuggling in the region.