More than P239.6 million worth of smuggled cigarettes was seized by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a series of anti-smuggling operations across the country over the last two months.
The PNP said on Saturday that its personnel conducted 335 anti-smuggling operations from August 26 to October 16, 2025.
Of these operations, 311 specifically targeted smuggled cigarettes.
The campaign against smuggling led to the arrest of 267 suspects and the seizure of smuggled cigarettes with a total amount of P239,639,651.
Around P58.9 million of the smuggled cigarettes was confiscated by Police Regional Office (PRO) 6, P56.2 million by PRO 9, and P47.7 million by PRO 12.
According to acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., the operations send a message that ‘the PNP stands firm in defending the nation’s economic integrity.’
‘Smuggling is more than a crime, it is a betrayal of the honest Filipino worker and business owner,’ Nartatez said in the PNP statement.
‘Every pack of illicit cigarettes seized means revenue saved for our government and opportunities restored for our people,’ he added.
Nartatez likewise said that the PNP remains committed to working with the Bureau of Customs, local government units, and other law enforcement agencies in conducting campaigns against the illegal trade of smuggled cigarettes in the country.