AFTER a series of successful raids on illegal cigarette warehouses and factories, the government will now go after retailers.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, at a press briefing on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, said raids on supermarkets selling illegal cigarettes will begin next week.
Remulla warned that stores caught selling illegal cigarettes will be shut down, and those behind the distribution will face non-bailable charges under the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
“As early as now, you can hide those illegal cigarettes or throw them away, I don’t care, you still have one week,” he said.
On Thursday, Feb. 19, police dismantled a suspected illegal cigarette manufacturing and storage facility in Barangay Sahud-Ulan, Tanza, Cavite.
The facility, registered as Cavite South Luzon Steel Management and declared as a canned goods warehouse, raised suspicion after a citizen reported a strong tobacco odor, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Surveillance confirmed cigarette production, prompting an inspection by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
Authorities seized cigarette-making machines, generators, a forklift, dried tobacco, packaging materials, raw components, alleged counterfeit products of various brands and boxes of fresh tobacco square sets, valued at about P200 million, based on BOC assessment. / PNA