Over Php 2.6-M Worth of Suspected Smuggled Cigarettes Intercepted

Four arrested in hot pursuit operation

Police operatives of the Police Regional Office Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) arrested four individuals and recovered an estimated Php 2.639 million worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes following a hot pursuit operation that ended in separate vehicular accidents in the Municipality of Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental, in the early hours of July 4, 2026.

At around 3:00 a.m., personnel of the Guihulngan Component City Police Station, in coordination with the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG), initiated a hot pursuit operation against two Toyota Revo vehicles reportedly transporting suspected smuggled cigarettes. The Guihulngan CCPS immediately sought the assistance of the Vallehermoso Municipal Police Station, which promptly established a checkpoint to intercept the fleeing vehicles.

As the hot pursuit operation progressed, police operatives learned that the two fleeing Toyota Revo vehicles had separately crashed in Barangays Puan and Molobolo, Vallehermoso. Responding personnel immediately proceeded to both crash sites.

In Barangay Puan, the black Toyota Revo bearing Plate No. XLX 891 lost control and crashed, causing several master cases and reams of suspected smuggled cigarettes to scatter along the roadway. The driver, Alias Hamza, 32, of Malabang, Lanao del Sur, was rescued from the wreckage and brought to the Vallehermoso Rural Health Unit for medical treatment, while his passenger, Alias Ting, 31, of Escalante City, Negros Occidental, was immediately arrested by responding personnel.

Meanwhile, in Barangay Molobolo, the maroon Toyota Revo bearing Plate No. XPJ 955 crashed into roadside railings. The driver, Alias Jamil, 43, of Manticao, Misamis Oriental, and his passenger, Alias Jamal, 46, also of Manticao, Misamis Oriental, sustained injuries and were transported to the Vallehermoso Rural Health Unit for medical treatment before being placed under arrest by personnel of Guihulngan Component City Police Station and the Regional Special Operations Group.

Recovered during the operation were two Toyota Revo vehicles, twenty-nine (29) big boxes containing one thousand one hundred eighty-four (1,184) reams of suspected smuggled cigarettes with an estimated value of Php 2,639,000.00.

The suspects were informed of the nature and cause of their arrest and apprised of their constitutional rights. The recovered evidence is now under police custody for proper documentation and disposition, while appropriate charges are being prepared in coordination with the concerned government agencies.

Police Brigadier General Romano V. Cardiño, Regional Director of PRO NIR, lauded the operating units for another significant accomplishment in the campaign against smuggling.

“I commend our operating units for their vigilance, seamless coordination, and unwavering commitment to duty. This successful operation is proof that when our police officers work as one, criminals have fewer places to hide and fewer opportunities to profit from illegal activities.

PBGen. Cardiño emphasized that smuggling is not a victimless crime, as it deprives the government of lawful revenues, undermines legitimate businesses, and negatively affects the livelihood of law-abiding Filipinos. He likewise reaffirmed PRO NIR’s commitment to sustain aggressive law enforcement operations, stressing that the Negros Island Region will never become a safe haven for criminal activities. He urged all police personnel to continue serving with integrity, courage, and professionalism, as the organization remains steadfast in its mission of building safer communities through the SAFE NIR initiative.* (PRO NIR)