LEBAK, Sultan Kudarat — What began as a pre-dawn police operation in Sitio Sudoy turned into a massive haul of smuggled cigarettes and suspected shabu early Thursday, 4 December — but the man authorities were after was nowhere to be found.

At around 2:54 a.m., police teams led by PLTCOL Joseph C. Galleto fanned out around the home of local businessman Chong Arabani Aminola, also known as “Chong,” to serve three search warrants (RA 9165, RA 10591, and RA 9516). Units from RMFB-12, RPDEU-12, RID-12, RIU-12, DI-MAPIO, and the Bureau of Customs in General Santos City joined the operation.

Small find first — then a major haul

Officers first recovered four sachets of suspected shabu weighing around two grams, valued at P13,600.

But the real surprise came next: Piles of branded cigarettes stacked inside the compound — brands like Victor Angilo, Commissioner Green/Red, President, Berlin and Lasa — all believed to be smuggled. The initial count hit 260 boxes, valued by Customs at P10.2 million.

Just as the team was wrapping up, more boxes were spotted along the shoreline. After confirming with BOC representative SA1 Rogel E. Julio, police uncovered 245 additional boxes of Lasa and Brooklyn cigarettes worth P9.6 million.

All in all: 505 boxes of smuggled cigarettes with a combined valuation of P19,841,450.

Suspect nowhere in sight

Aminola was not at home during the raid and remains at large as of this writing.

Police completed the inventory and marking of items on-site, witnessed by a municipal councilor and a local media representative. All seized evidence — both the suspected shabu and the cigarettes — has been turned over to Lebak MPS for documentation and proper disposition.