Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) seized 564 boxes of suspected illicit cigarettes worth ₱35.25 million during a routine mobile patrol in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija on June 29.

Police said officers first discovered an abandoned Toyota Hi-Ace van loaded with suspected illicit cigarettes in Barangay Mabini Homesite after a suspicious individual fled the area. A subsequent operation led to the recovery of two more abandoned vehicles and a nearby house believed to have been used as a storage site.

Authorities also recovered a sling bag containing a driver’s license, which is now part of the ongoing investigation.

The confiscated cigarettes, bearing the markings “RGD 96 JLOONG,” have an estimated value of ₱35.25 million, based on the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s valuation. Charges for violations of the National Internal Revenue Code and the Graphic Health Warnings Law are being prepared against those responsible.

PRO3 Regional Director PBGen. Jess B. Mendez said the successful operation reflects the police’s intensified campaign against smuggling and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting legitimate businesses, government revenues, and curbing economic sabotage.