BALIWAG CITY, Bulacan — Authorities seized about P150 million worth of illegal cigarettes and arrested 19 individuals during an operation along DRT Highway in Barangay Tarcan on 14 April.

Operatives of the Regional Special Operations Group 3 (RSOG3), in coordination with the CIDG Bulacan Provincial Field Unit and Baliwag City Police Station, conducted the operation after monitoring the unloading of cigarette boxes from container vans to delivery trucks.

More than 2,000 boxes of cigarettes without Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax stamps were confiscated, along with six vehicles used in the distribution.

All suspects and evidence are now under RSOG3 custody, while follow-up operations are ongoing to identify other individuals involved.

Authorities said the illicit tobacco trade remains a major concern, with projected volumes reaching 11.13 billion sticks by 2025, or about 26.86 percent of total consumption.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue estimates annual revenue losses of up to P100 billion due to the illegal trade, which has expanded from Mindanao to Luzon, where authorities have uncovered major storage and manufacturing sites.