The Philippine National Police has intensified the surveillance operations and strengthened coordination with neighboring countries amid the continuous confiscation of smuggled goods, particularly cigarettes that usually sneaked in the country using the southern backdoor.

But PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. said the continuous successful operations revealed that the strategies they have been implementing, including stronger alliances with their Southeast Asian counterparts, are working and on the right track.

“We have been successful in giving smuggling syndicates the hard time in operating in the country and the goal is to put an end to their modus. With strong alliance and coordination with other agencies and our ASEAN partners, we are confident of achieving more, especially on cigarette smuggling,” said Nartatez.

More than P10 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes have been confiscated so far, including multi-million pesos worth of cigarettes that were seized in ports through misdeclaration of goods.

The aggressive operations started in Batangas where over P1 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes on Dec, 31 last year. The following day, around P1.2 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes were seized in Malabon.

A number of multi-million peso operations against cigarette smuggling have been conducted since then, including the busting of illegal production sites in various areas in the country.

“We cannot allow this kind of illegal activity that adversely affects our economy. Our operations are continuous and this includes stronger alliance and coordination with other law enforcement agencies here and our regional neighbors,” said Nartatez.

Nartatez earlier said that anti-smuggling efforts were among the key matters discussed during the 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL) Conference hosted by the Philippines.

The conference, it was recalled, highlighted the need for closer regional cooperation against transnational crimes, including smuggling operations that cross national borders.

“The PNP is crafting measures with its regional counterparts to heighten border patrols against smuggling as well as trace and identify the origin of these contraband,” Nartatez said.

He said closer coordination with ASEAN law enforcement agencies will help disrupt the movement of smuggled goods before they reach local markets, adding that intelligence sharing and joint enforcement efforts remain vital in dismantling transnational criminal networks involved in the illegal trade.