NUEVA ECIJA, Philippines – Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) seized counterfeit cigarettes worth ₱900,000 during a checkpoint operation in Nueva Ecija on Wednesday, September 24. The operation was carried out under the Employing Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO) strategy of acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. Authorities intercepted the contraband from a vehicle flagged down at a checkpoint, leading to the confiscation of several master cases of fake cigarettes. Police said the intensified operations aim to curb smuggling and protect local industries from illicit trade.
