Police and other government’s anti-narcotics agency have joined forces to look into reports of illegal cigarettes circulating in the black market that may be laced with drug chemicals and synthetic drugs, such as cannabis, shabu, and cocaine.

In a recent media forum in Quezon City, police’s Highway Patrol Group (HPG) director Brig. Gen. Hansel Marantan said they are closely coordinating with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to verify such reports.

PDEA, on the other hand, has already secured samples of confiscated illicit cigarettes and is subjecting them to laboratory testing to detect any possible drug content.

It was the HPG operatives who discovered and confiscated P1.1 billion of smuggled cigarettes in Batangas City on Dec, 31 last year and another P1.5 billion worth of the same contraband in Malabon the following day.

And there were reports that criminal syndicates are introducing illegal drugs into illegal cigarettes to make their products more appealing to smokers and boost their profits.

In the past, drug syndicates used illegal cigarette shipments as a cover to avoid detection of their drug shipment but authorities had not previously apprehended any cases of cigarettes containing illegal drugs.

laced with substances that have hallucinogenic effects.

The PDEA is conducting similar laboratory tests on these black cigarette samples.

employees, foreigners, and bar patrons.