By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief PLTGEN. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Friday ordered all police units to look into the possible connection between the P2.6 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes intercepted in separate operations in Batangas City and Malabon City on New Year’s Eve.
“We are now looking into the possible link between the undocumented tobacco products we seized in Batangas and that in Malabon. Intelligence works and coordination with concerned government agencies are ongoing to determine if we are dealing with the same group or people and the same modus,” Nartatez said in a statement.
On Wednesday morning, elements of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) discovered about P1.1 billion worth of alleged smuggled cigarettes in Batangas City during an anti-car theft operation.
Later that night, the PNP-HPG also seized about P1.5 billion worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes at a dockyard in Malabon City after discovering the contraband during an anti-car theft operation.
Nartatez said the PNP is working closely with the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and other law enforcement agencies to trace the source, distribution routes, and possible financiers of the seized cigarettes.
He said these are not isolated or small-time operations as they involve warehouse-level storage, planned logistics, and significant capital, which point to the involvement of organized criminal groups.
“These two cases are serious offenses. We will exhaust all measures to identify those responsible. We will get to the bottom of this case,” Nartatez said.
