A large cache of suspected smuggled cigarettes worth more than ₱150,000 was seized by authorities after being abandoned by two unidentified men who fled upon spotting police officers conducting a checkpoint operation in Oroquieta City on the afternoon of June 1, 2026.
According to a police report, personnel of the Philippine National Police assigned at the Oroquieta City Police Station were carrying out an overlapping checkpoint operation in Purok 1, Barangay Lower Rizal when a concerned citizen alerted them about two men unloading boxes from a red bao-bao or tricycle in the area.
Authorities said the suspects immediately became alarmed after noticing the presence of police operatives nearby. The two men reportedly abandoned the cargo and quickly escaped aboard the tricycle heading toward Calamba.
Responding officers immediately proceeded to the reported location to verify the information, leading to the discovery of several boxes containing assorted cigarettes believed to have been smuggled into the province.
Confiscated during the operation were 91 reams of Cannon Menthol cigarettes, 50 reams of YS Brand Menthol cigarettes, and 47 reams of Rasean Gold Brand Red Menthol cigarettes. The total haul reached 188 reams with an estimated market value of ₱150,400.
Police said the seized cigarettes were brought to the Oroquieta City Police Station for proper documentation and custody. The contraband is set to be turned over to the Bureau of Internal Revenue for appropriate disposition and further evaluation.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify and arrest the suspects behind the illegal transport and distribution of the untaxed cigarette products.
The incident highlights the continuing crackdown of law enforcement agencies against the proliferation of smuggled cigarettes in parts of Misamis Occidental, a trade that authorities say deprives the government of millions in tax revenues while fueling illegal underground operations.