CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — A follow-up operation stemming from an earlier interception in Mabalacat City led Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) to 15 trailer trucks carrying an estimated P960 million worth of suspected smuggled/illicit cigarettes in separate areas of Bataan and Pampanga recently.
The operation developed from the earlier interception of an Isuzu GIGA Wing Van along MacArthur Highway, Barangay Cacutud, Mabalacat City, Pampanga, at about 12:30 a.m. Monday (Sept. 7). The vehicle was found loaded with 759 master cases of suspected smuggled/illicit cigarettes.
Information gathered during the subsequent investigation indicated that the shipment may have originated from a private seaport in Mariveles, Bataan, prompting intelligence operatives of the Regional Special Operations Group–Regional Intelligence Division 3 (RSOG-RID3) to proceed to the area and conduct surveillance.
During the surveillance, several trailer trucks carrying 40-foot container vans were monitored in the area. At about 8:30 p.m., the trucks were observed leaving one after another, prompting operating units to position along identified routes in Bataan and Pampanga.
The follow-up operation resulted in the interception of 7 trailer trucks in Abucay, 2 in Limay, and 1 in Orion, all in Bataan, and 5 in Lubao, Pampanga. The trucks were subsequently found carrying substantial quantities of suspected smuggled/illicit cigarette products.
Based on initial estimates, the cigarette products loaded in the fifteen trucks have an aggregate value of approximately P960 million, subject to final inventory and verification by the appropriate authorities.
Beyond the value of the intercepted products, PRO3 underscored the wider impact of illicit trade on communities. The illegal movement and distribution of cigarettes can deprive the government of revenues intended for public programs and services, place legitimate businesses and law-abiding retailers at a disadvantage, and allow illegal networks to profit outside established regulatory systems.
The operation was led by RSOG-RID3, with personnel from RDEU3, RMFB3, Bataan PIU, Bataan PMFC, Abucay MPS, Limay MPS, Orion MPS, Bataan PPO, Lubao MPS, Pampanga PPO, and CIDG RFU 3.
PRO3 Regional Director P/Brig. Gen. Jess B. Mendez said the successful follow-up demonstrates the importance of acting immediately on intelligence developed from previous police operations.
PRO3 is coordinating with concerned government agencies for the proper verification and disposition of the intercepted products and the filing of appropriate charges against those who may be found liable. (UnliNews Online)
