By Jason De Asis
CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – Authorities arrested five individuals and confiscated nearly PHP1.9 million worth of counterfeit cigarettes and assorted smuggled goods during a joint enforcement operation in Plaridel, Bulacan on Thursday night, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 3 (Central Luzon) reported.
“This operation underscores our firm stance against smuggling and the spread of counterfeit products that undermine our economy and endanger public welfare,” PRO-3 director Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez said in a statement Friday.
He stressed that the operation underscores the intensified effort to combat smuggling and the spread of counterfeit goods, which endanger both the economy and public safety.
Joint police field operatives conducted the operation after receiving a complaint from a property owner about suspicious nighttime activities in a rented compound in Barangay San Jose.
Upon inspection of the compound, authorities discovered several boxes of cigarettes stored in plain view.
Initial validation confirmed that many of the products were counterfeit, untaxed Marlboro cigarettes, in violation of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.
Arrested during the operation were a Chinese national who is the alleged tenant of the property, along with four Filipino workers, including a driver. The suspects failed to present documents proving payment of taxes or legal authorization to store and distribute the goods.
Confiscated were various counterfeit cigarette brands including Green Commando, Cannon, Mighty, Two Moon, and Delta, with an estimated value of PHP812,500.
Also recovered were various consumer goods believed to be non-compliant with regulations, including rubber shoes, food seasonings, instant noodles, and perfumes valued at PHP1,091,080.
The suspects are facing charges for violations of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, the Consumer Act of the Philippines, and the Graphic Health Warnings Law. (PNA)
