LANAO DEL NORTE, Philippines — Police seized 150 reams of cigarettes suspected to have been smuggled, with an estimated value of ₱120,000, during a checkpoint operation in Linamon, Lanao del Norte, early Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
The seizure was made at about 4:50 a.m. in Barangay Samburon, where personnel of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (1st PMFC) of the Lanao del Norte Police Provincial Office, together with the MARPSTA-LDN, 2nd PMFC, Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), 1005th Regional Mobile Force Battalion 10, Regional Intelligence Division 10, Regional Intelligence Unit 10, and Linamon Municipal Police Station, were conducting a regular checkpoint.
During the inspection, police stopped a white Bajaj Bao-Bao and noticed several boxes at the rear portion of the vehicle.
Upon inspection, authorities found 150 reams of red Modern cigarettes, which police described as suspected smuggled cigarettes. The driver allegedly failed to present the required documents authorizing the transport of the cigarette products.
The estimated value of the seized cigarettes was placed at ₱120,000.
Police also took custody of the Bajaj Bao-Bao believed to have been used to transport the cigarette shipment.
The driver was brought to the Linamon Municipal Police Station (MPS) for documentation and was subjected to the appropriate procedures. Authorities subsequently referred the matter to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for proper action, including the determination of the shipment’s legal status and the appropriate disposition under customs regulations.
As of the latest report, the vehicle and the seized cigarettes remained under the custody of the 1st PMFC pending turnover to the Bureau of Customs.
The operation highlights the continuing checkpoint and interdiction efforts of police units in Lanao del Norte to detect the movement of suspected illegally transported goods along the province’s road networks.
Authorities have not indicated any final determination by the Bureau of Customs regarding the legal status of the cigarette shipment. The classification of the products as smuggled remains subject to the appropriate customs examination and proceedings.