Cops seize P44-M-worth of cigarettes buried in Maguindanao del Norte farm

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January 7, 2026 | 8:32pm

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Policemen and officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) excavated on Tuesday, January 6, a total of 2,004 boxes of imported cigarettes buried in an agricultural land in Barangay Gumagadong Calawag in Parang town in Maguindanao del Norte.

In initial reports on Wednesday, officials of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and BOC agents placed at no less than P44 million their estimate of the market value of the Indonesian-made cigarettes seized during the day-long anti-smuggling operation in Barangay Barangay Gumagadong Calawag in Parang.

Parang is one of the 12 towns in Maguindanao del Norte, a component-province of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of PRO-BAR, told reporters on Wednesday that it was vigilant villagers and local officials in Parang who informed them about the buried Indonesian-made cigarettes, enabling personnel from their units and BOC agents to excavate and confiscate the contraband.

“To all of them we are thankful,” De Guzman said.

He said the BOC shall have custody of the confiscated smuggled cigarettes, for disposal according to state regulations.

De Guzman said local executives and traditional Moro leaders are helping officials of the Parang Municipal Police Station determine who owned the seized smuggled cigarettes for prosecution.