The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said authorities intercepted P6.46 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes concealed inside a cement mixer truck during a checkpoint operation in Maguindanao del Norte.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said operatives from the Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) seized 7,550 reams of assorted cigarettes at around 9:30 a.m. on 17 March in Sitio Marayag, Barangay Bayanga Norte, Matanog.

Nartatez ordered an investigation to determine the origin and distribution network behind the contraband.

The cigarettes were discovered after authorities flagged down the truck for routine inspection and noticed irregularities in its cargo compartment.

During verification, suspected contraband items reportedly fell from inside the mixer drum, prompting a thorough inspection that led to the seizure.

Police arrested a 30-year-old truck driver and a 20-year-old helper, both residents of Zamboanga City, after they failed to present documents for the cargo.

“Criminal groups are always thinking of ways to outsmart us, but your PNP will always find ways to bust them. I commend the operating unit in Maguindanao del Norte for uncovering this modus,” Nartatez said.

Authorities are now tracing the supply chain and possible distribution routes of the smuggled cigarettes.

“Our intelligence units are currently tracing the paper trail and the transit route. Tinitingnan natin kung iisang supply chain lang ito mula sa labas ng bansa na kumakalat din sa Luzon at Visayas. We are not ruling out a centralized distribution network,” he said.

Nartatez noted that the use of a cement mixer truck to conceal the cigarettes points to a more organized smuggling operation.

“The use of a cement mixer truck as a ‘front’ shows a high level of sophistication. Hindi ito gawa ng maliliit na player lang. This is clearly the work of an organized group attempting to bypass our checkpoints through deceptive means,” he said.

The PNP said it is conducting follow-up operations to identify possible warehouses and ports of origin, particularly in western Mindanao, while monitoring known smuggling routes.

The suspects, vehicle, and confiscated cigarettes remain under police custody as the investigation continues.