Police seized P5.6 million worth of illegal tobacco products from a 43-year-old businessman known only by the alias “Pauti” during an operation in Carcar City, Cebu.

The Cebu Police Provincial Office (PPO), together with partner agencies, intercepted the suspect’s vehicle on January 26. Authorities said the Nissan Terrano was loaded with 70 small boxes and 21 large boxes of tobacco products, none of which had the required permits or Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) certification for transport or sale.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief P/Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. commended the operation, citing it as an example of intelligence-driven and disciplined policing.

“This is the kind of accomplishment that shows we are serious in protecting communities and government revenues. Hindi lang ito laban sa ilegal na kalakalan, kundi laban din sa paglabag sa batas at karapatan ng mamamayan,” he said.

The operation was carried out by a multi-agency team composed of the Regional Special Project Unit 7 (RSPU7), Carcar City Police Station, Criminal Investigation Unit–Carcar City Police Office, Regional Intelligence Division 7, Regional Public Safety Battalion 7, Cebu PPO, and the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, in close coordination with the BIR.

“This achievement reflects the strength of our Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO) under the PNP Focus Agenda. It shows that disciplined, coordinated work can protect both the public and government funds while upholding the rule of law,” Nartatez said.

The PNP said it has intensified its nationwide crackdown on the illicit cigarette trade, stressing that large-scale smuggling is now a nonbailable offense punishable by life imprisonment. Authorities described the fight against smuggled cigarettes as critical to both national security and economic survival.

Earlier, PNP Highway Patrol Group Director Brig. Gen. Hansel Matamis Marantan warned of the growing sophistication of the illegal tobacco trade.

“This is no longer just about smuggling finished products through our porous borders. Our operations have uncovered local manufacturing sites—factories right here in the country—producing these illicit cigarettes, evading taxes and operating outside any regulatory oversight. This is a sophisticated, multi-layered criminal enterprise,” Marantan said.

The government loses an estimated P90 billion to P100 billion annually in uncollected tax revenues due to the proliferation of illicit cigarettes, according to police data. For January alone, the PNP said it has seized more than P3 billion worth of illegal cigarettes nationwide.

“This P3-billion seizure is just the start. It is the opening salvo in an unrelenting, no-let-up campaign,” Marantan said. “We are hitting them at the ports, on the highways, and in their clandestine warehouses. This is a tangible result of our intensified intelligence-driven operations,” he added.