SOME P1.3 billion worth of counterfeit cigarettes and raw materials were seized in Mabalacat City and another estimated P1 billion cache of cigarette-making machines, stamps and assorted parapharnelia were seized by combined operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Regional Investigation Division, Pampanga Police, and Mabalacat City Police on June 24, 2021.
In a report, Pampanga Police Provincial Director Colonel Arnold Ibay said the operation also resulted in the arrest of five suspects identified as Danny Martizano, a resident of St. Paul District Bisug, Surigao del Sur; Richie Aliminion of Barangay Malbug, Cawayan, Masbate; Sammy Molina of San Macario Norte, Natividad, Pangasinan; Ryan Tilanduca of Barangay Bangcud, Malaybalay, Bukidnon; and Efren Tacomto of Marcos Village, Mabalacat City, who are allegedly connected with with the Wendel Criminal Group engaged in the distribution of counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes in Central Luzon.
He said law enforcers implemented a mission order at Warehouse No. SFB 9706 located inside a compound in Barangay Paralayunan that led to the discovery of smuggled fake cigarettes, including raw materials used and/or intended to be used for manufacturing cigarettes.
Confiscated were one Isuzu wing van truck loaded with several sacks of dried tobacco; one utility vehicle; 22 boxes and 26 reams of Yunyan cigarettes; 14 boxes of Shuangxi cigarettes; four boxes of Chunghua cigarettes; 13 boxes, 19 reams, and nine packs of Gold Line cigarettes; 72 reams of Nanjing cigarettes; eight reams of Jinsiye cigarettes; 19 reams and three packs of Black Pearl cigarettes; four boxes of Marlboro (red) and 35 reams Titanium cigarettes, all valued at P300 million.
P1 billion more in San Simon town
In a follow-up operation also on Thursday, Ibay said the combined operating team confiscated P1 billion more worth of suspected counterfeit cigarettes, machines and raw materials in an industrial park there.
Authorities, he said, swooped down on Block 22 Lot 9, Global Aseana Park 1 where they confiscated a cache of 147,000 pieces of invalid BIR stamps (green); 1,470,000 pieces of invalid BIR stamps (light blue); 12 cigarette packer machines; two cigarette maker machines; 100 rolls of cigarette paper; 35 rolls of tipping paper; 46 rolls of cigarette foil; 48,000 pieces of cigarette filters; four boxes of cigarette papers; and various brands of cigarettes and raw materials. (JTD)