Jonvic Remulla on Friday underscored the need for stronger police-led anti-smuggling operations, citing what he described as the limited manpower of the Bureau of Customs in protecting the country’s borders from the entry of contraband.

Remulla said the Bureau of Customs has only about 5,000 personnel, with fewer than 1,000 field agents, compared with the more than 230,000-strong force of the Philippine National Police that can be tapped for large-scale enforcement operations.

“Ang empleyado ng BoC is 5,000 plus, ang agents nila daan lang, less than 1,000 agents ng BoC, ganun din ang BIR. Ang PNP kasi is 230,000 so sila ang magiging lead dito kaya sila ang magiging lead sa investigation and apprehension,” Remulla said.

He cited the recent discovery of an illegal cigarette factory in Pampanga capable of producing up to P150 million worth of cigarettes daily.

The illegal facility in Mexico, Pampanga was uncovered by the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group while investigators were following leads related to the interception of smuggled cigarettes in Mabini, Batangas in December last year.

On Dec. 31, the PNP’s Highway Patrol Group discovered P1.1 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes in Batangas City while conducting a follow-up operation linked to a stolen vehicle. The following day, HPG operatives seized another P1.5 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes in Malabon.

Late last month, HPG operatives also confiscated more than P220 million worth of Apple products with questionable documentation in Quezon City.

Both the CIDG and HPG have been behind a series of high-value anti-smuggling operations in recent weeks, involving products worth hundreds of millions to billions of pesos.

The PNP’s enforcement gains come as the Bureau of Customs faces internal issues after two of its officials — Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Thomas Narcise and CIIS Port of Manila chief Paul Oliver Pacunayen — were named in a complaint sent to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over allegations of a resurgence in smuggling activities.

The Bureau of Customs has yet to complete its internal investigation into the two officials.

Remulla, however, said there is nothing irregular about the police-led operations, stressing that the Bureau of Customs has been involved throughout the process.

“Sila ang kasama namin, it’s a joint effort,” Remulla said when asked whether the series of police-initiated operations indicated a failure of intelligence on the part of the Bureau of Customs.

“As soon as we have word sila rin ang nag-iinvestigate at sila rin ang nagqu-qualify,” he added.