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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Cops step up drive to prevent smuggled cigarette profit from funding other crimes in PH

Cops step up drive to prevent smuggled cigarette profit from funding other crimes in PH

Published Feb 17, 2026 10:10 pm
Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez leads the inspection of abandoned container vans in Batangas City which later yielded around P1.1 billion worth of smuggled tobacco products. (photo: PNP)
Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez leads the inspection of abandoned container vans in Batangas City which later yielded around P1.1 billion worth of smuggled tobacco products. (photo: PNP)
Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered all police units to work together in the intensified the efforts not only to dismantle the illegal cigarette networks in the country but also stop the possibility of its illicit profits fueling organized crime and other unlawful activities.
He explained that the scale of the operations of the illegal manufacturing plants points to a deeper criminal structure, especially that there are raw information of the involvement of some influential people.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said that at least two politicians are persons of interest in the entry of smuggled cigarettes and the illegal manufacture of tobacco products.
The two politicians are now being investigated, including the network of operation of illegal cigarette trade in the country.
Police-initiated operations already resulted in billions of pesos worth of cigarette products and manufacturing equipment since the seizure of P1.1 billion tobacco products in Batangas on Dec. 31 last year and another P1.5 billion in Metro Manila the following day.
On the other hand, at least five warehouses and factories were raided in Pampanga.
“Based on our intelligence reports and the scale of these operations, this is not just about tax evasion, this is organized crime. We are looking into the 'ecosystem' of this trade to see where the money flows,” said Nartatez.
He said the PNP is mapping out the financial trail behind the illegal cigarette network. Investigators are coordinating with the Bureau of Customs and other enforcement units to determine how funds move across regions and identify those involved in the chain.
Nartatez also called on the public to take part in the campaign against the proliferation of illegal cigarettes, adding that citizens can help by reporting suspicious activities in warehouses in their communities.
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