The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) seized two container vans filled with illicit cigarettes worth up to P80 million during a raid at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City.
According to PCG Central Cebu Commander Captain Jerome Lozada, authorities began surveillance operations on Monday, May 11, 2026, after receiving an intelligence report about an illegal shipment passing through Pier 7.
"We immediately started monitoring operations in the Pier 7 area after receiving information about a suspicious cargo shipment allegedly carrying cigarettes," Lozada said.
Lozada said CG operatives conducting surveillance spotted two trucks carrying container vans leaving the area at around 3 a.m. However, just a few meters from the port, the trucks stopped and detached the container vans before driving away.
Operatives later discovered hundreds of boxes of smuggled goods inside the abandoned vans. "It was very unusual because the trucks left the container vans on the roadside and drove away. We initially expected them to return, but after hours of waiting, nobody came back," he said.
The abandoned vans matched the information received by authorities. The PCG coordinated with Customs personnel, who opened and inspected the containers. The inspection confirmed that the vans contained large quantities of cigarettes.
Lozada said the 20-foot container carried 466 boxes, while the larger 40-foot container contained more than 1,000 boxes. An inventory of the seized items is still underway. "With the estimated number of boxes inside the 40-footer, the value of the shipment could reach around P70 million to P80 million," Lozada said.
Authorities are still investigating the shipment's origin and whether the cigarettes were intended for distribution in Cebu or transport to another location. Lozada said monitoring illegal cargo remains challenging, especially in private ports where authorities must coordinate with operators before conducting inspections.
"This operation highlights the importance of continuous monitoring in our ports, especially since some cargo operations happen in privately managed areas," he said.
The CG said this was the second cigarette-smuggling apprehension recently handled by the agency, following a smaller operation in Bohol involving cigarettes allegedly transported by boat from Cebu.
