The Philippine National Police (PNP) bared on Friday, Jan. 2, that it has begun investigating whether a single organized smuggling group is behind the P2.6 billion worth of undocumented cigarettes seized in separate New Year’s Eve operations in Batangas City and Malabon City.

Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., acting PNP chief, said police are examining a possible operational link between the P1.1 billion worth of unregistered cigarettes found in Batangas City and the P1.5 billion worth of suspected smuggled tobacco products discovered in Malabon on Dec. 31, 2025.

Both seizures involved large volumes and were carried out almost simultaneously, raising suspicions of a common network.

“We are now looking into the possible link between the undocumented tobacco products we seized in Batangas and that in Malabon. Intelligence works and coordination with concerned government agencies are ongoing to determine if we are dealing with the same group or people and the same modus,” Nartatez said.

The PNP is coordinating closely with the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and other law enforcement agencies to trace the source of the cigarettes. Authorities are also tracking distribution routes and identifying possible financiers behind the shipments.

The first seizure happened on the morning of Dec. 31 when personnel of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) discovered around P1.1 billion worth of alleged smuggled cigarettes in Batangas City during an anti-carnapping operation.

The PNP-HPG initially located a red Hyundai Accent bearing plate number NGN 6169 in Sitio Singko, Balete, Batangas City around 11:20 a.m. after it was reported stolen a week ago in Las Piñas City. While personnel of the HPG were inspecting the area, police noticed several trucks and a container van “parked in an abandoned condition” beside the carnapped vehicle.

The PNP said that as part of due diligence, inquiries were made regarding the unattended vehicles. One container van was already opened and when the police made a visual inspection, they found it to be loaded with tobacco products.

Later that night, HPG operatives also uncovered another shipment valued at about P1.5 billion at a dockyard in Malabon City while they were conducting an anti-carnapping operation.

The police officers were conducting an intelligence-driven anti-carnapping and traffic enforcement operation when they spotted a motorcycle rider and his backrider, both suspected carnappers, who were not wearing helmets along M.H. Del Pilar Avenue in Barangay Maysilo around 10:30 p.m.

The cops signaled the motorcycle riders to stop for an inspection but they ignored the authorities and sped off, sparking a pursuit operation. The hot pursuit led the authorities to a compound of a cargo facility. Police, with the help of a security guard, cornered them inside the compound behind 18 cargo containers.

The PNP said that while issuing a violation ticket to one of the riders, the officers noticed an open container filled with boxes of imported cigarettes from South Korea. Initial inspection showed the items were unregistered and lacked proper documentation.

Nartatez said the scale of the seizures shows the seriousness of the smuggling threat in the country.

He said the volume, storage, and logistics involved point to well-funded and organized criminal groups rather than small-time operators.

“These two cases are serious offenses. We will exhaust all measures to identify those responsible. We will get to the bottom of this case,” Nartatez said.

Prior to this, the national government announced an intensified crackdown on cigarette smuggling after the HPG also seized about P143 million worth of alleged unregistered tobacco products in a joint operation by the PNP and Bureau of Customs.

The operation began when two trailer trucks carrying the cigarettes from Bauan, Batangas to Valenzuela City were intercepted during an anti-carnapping and traffic operation in Quezon City on Dec. 17. Three truck drivers were initially taken into custody.

During case processing, three truck owners allegedly offered P5 million in bribe money to police operatives. Officers rejected the offer and conducted a sting operation which led to the arrest of the truck owners and the seizure of the cash. A total of six suspects were arrested and are now facing criminal charges.