Law enforcement authorities have confiscated approximately ₱27.6 million worth of illegal cigarettes during coordinated operations in Bulacan and Bataan. Two suspects—one of whom is a Chinese national—were arrested in connection with the raids.
In Bulacan, officers seized 384 master cases of assorted tobacco products from a warehouse in Guiguinto on November 5. The haul was valued at around ₱26.9 million. On the same day in Bataan, a buy‑bust operation led to the arrest of a 41‑year‑old woman in Barangay Panilao, Pilar, with confiscated goods valued at approximately ₱730,000.
Investigators said the seizures were carried out under mandates related to the Intellectual Property Code, Graphic Health Warnings Law, Tobacco Regulation Act, and the National Internal Revenue Code. The crackdown is part of a broader effort to curb smuggling, tax evasion, and the unregulated circulation of tobacco products in the region.