PALIMBANG, Sultan Kudarat — More than ₱19 million worth of smuggled cigarettes were seized in a major joint law enforcement operation in Barangay Wal, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat on the evening of November 30, 2025.
At around 7:10 p.m., operatives of the Palimbang Municipal Police Station led by PLTCOL Gary Flor C. Marfil, together with troops from Bravo Company of the Army’s 37th Infantry Battalion under 1LT Patrick John A. Pacres, and personnel from the Bureau of Customs (BOC)–Sub-Port of General Santos led by Special Agent I Rogel E. Julio, raided a warehouse identified through verified intelligence as a storage site for illicit cigarette products.
During the operation, authorities conducted an ocular inspection of the warehouse and immediately spotted stacks of cigarette boxes through an open window. The items were inspected and confirmed by the BOC representative to be smuggled goods, prompting their immediate confiscation.
A total of 495 boxes of smuggled cigarettes were seized, consisting of:
• 320 boxes of King Philip
• 75 boxes of Brighton
• 100 boxes of Gajah Baru
The Bureau of Customs valued the seized contraband at ₱19,448,550.00.
The warehouse, reportedly owned by a certain alias “Lupin”, was unmanned at the time of the raid, and the suspect remains at large. Barangay Wal Chairman Hon. Benengen W. Usop witnessed the inventory and confiscation process.
All seized items were brought to the Palimbang Municipal Police Station for documentation and will be formally turned over to the Bureau of Customs–General Santos for appropriate action.
Authorities will file criminal complaints against the suspected warehouse owner for violations of Republic Act 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act) and Republic Act 12022 (Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act).
Police Regional Office 12 Director PBGEN Arnold P. Ardiente lauded the operatives for the successful operation, underscoring PRO 12’s firm commitment to suppress smuggling and protect communities from economic sabotage.
“This operation demonstrates our unwavering resolve to secure our borders and prevent the entry and distribution of illegal goods,” Ardiente said.