Baliwag: The Police Regional Office-Central Luzon (PRO-3) arrested 19 individuals and confiscated an estimated PHP150 million worth of illicit cigarettes in a major anti-smuggling operation in Baliwag City on Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, the operation followed a weeklong series of anti-smuggling actions across Central Luzon. Operatives from the Regional Special Operations Group-3, in coordination with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bulacan Provincial Field Unit and the Baliwag City Police Station, acted on intelligence reports regarding the transfer of illicit cigarettes along the DRT Highway in Barangay Tarcan.

At around 6 a.m., authorities caught the suspects in the act of unloading boxes of cigarettes from container vans into smaller delivery trucks intended for distribution. Police recovered more than 2,000 boxes of cigarettes bearing the brands Modern and RGD. All items lacked the required tax stamps from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, indicating non-payment of excise taxes.

Six vehicles used in transporting the illegal products were also seized. Police said the inventory of confiscated items is still ongoing. 'After a week of focused operations, this is another significant accomplishment. Ibig sabihin, tuloy-tuloy ang ating kampanya -- hindi lang sunod-sunod, kundi mas pinapalawak pa natin ang ating aksyon laban sa illicit trade (This means our campaign is continuous -- not just sequential, but we are expanding our actions against illicit trade),' PRO-3 chief Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez said.