Police and Bureau of Customs agents seized P4.7 million worth of illicit cigarettes and arrested a 42-year-old suspect during a buy-bust operation in Talisay City, Cebu.
Authorities confirmed the cigarettes were smuggled after inspecting a P10,000 test purchase and finding no graphic health warnings on the packaging inside the suspect's residence.
Cebu Police Provincial Office Director Col. Abubakar Mangelen Jr. stated the joint, intelligence-driven operation reinforces ongoing efforts to curb illegal cigarette sales and enforce regulated product laws.
POLICE and customs agents seized 47 large boxes of cigarettes worth P4.7 million and arrested a suspect in a buy-bust operation in a subdivision in Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, early Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.
The operation began at 2:55 a.m. The Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) led it and agents from the Bureau of Customs assisted the team.
CPPO had received a report that the suspect was selling illegal cigarettes and they coordinated with customs to set up the buy-bust.
Sample inspected
During the operation, a police officer posing as a customer bought a large box of cigarettes for P10,000.
Personnel from the police office and customs then inspected the sample and found no graphic health warnings on the packs, which meant the products were smuggled.
Further checks showed that other cigarette products inside the suspect’s home also lacked the warnings.
The suspect, identified only as Al, 42, a resident of the subdivision, was arrested. Officers seized the boxes of cigarettes.
Intelligence-driven operation
CPPO Director Col. Abubakar Mangelen Jr. said coordinated, intelligence-driven operations are essential to curbing the sale of illegal cigarettes.
He said the CPPO will continue to support government agencies in enforcing the law and holding violators accountable.
“Our partnership with the Bureau of Customs and other concerned agencies is essential in detecting and addressing suspected violations involving regulated products. We will continue to pursue lawful operations, preserve the integrity of evidence and ensure that appropriate legal processes are followed,” Mangelen said. / AYB