ILIGAN CITY, Philippines — Police seized 250 reams of suspected smuggled cigarettes worth approximately ₱200,000 during a checkpoint operation in Barangay Dalipuga, Iligan City, on the evening of October 18, 2026, and confiscated the vehicle allegedly used to transport the illicit goods.
Personnel of the City Intelligence Unit–City Special Operations Unit (CIU-CSOU), together with other operating units of the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO 10), conducted the operation after intercepting an orange Toyota Hilux reportedly transporting the cigarettes from Baloi, Lanao del Norte, to Cagayan de Oro City.
Police said the driver failed to present the required importation and tax documents for the cigarette shipment, prompting the operating personnel to seize the 250 reams of Modern-brand cigarettes, valued at approximately ₱200,000, along with the vehicle used to transport them.
The operation formed part of the police regional office’s efforts to curb the movement of suspected smuggled tobacco products through major transport routes in Northern Mindanao.
Cigarettes to be turned over to Bureau of Customs
The confiscated cigarettes and other evidence are subject to proper documentation and turnover to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for appropriate verification and further proceedings.
Authorities said the individuals involved were temporarily released pending verification and the appropriate proceedings by the concerned government agencies. No final determination of liability was provided in the initial report.
The case underscores the role of checkpoints and intelligence-led police operations in detecting the transportation of goods suspected of being smuggled, particularly shipments for which the required importation and tax documents cannot be presented.
PRO 10 orders intensified anti-smuggling operations
Police Regional Office 10 Regional Director PBGEN Nestor C. Babagay Jr. commended the operating units for the seizure and directed police personnel to sustain intelligence-driven operations, strengthen checkpoint enforcement, and intensify coordination with partner government agencies to prevent the movement of illicit goods.
“We will continue to act on reliable information and work with our partner agencies to stop the movement of illicit goods while ensuring that all operations are lawful and respect due process,” Babagay said.
The police regional office reported that the Iligan City operation was one of two separate cigarette seizures conducted in Northern Mindanao on October 18. Combined, the two operations resulted in the confiscation of 597 reams of cigarettes with an estimated value of ₱477,600.
The cigarettes and vehicle seized in Iligan City remain subject to the appropriate documentation, verification, and proceedings by the concerned authorities.