ILLEGAL cigarettes valued at P1.1 million were seized by personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Mandaue City Field Unit in coordination with the Regional Highway Patrol Unit 7, the Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) 7 and in collaboration with Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Company (PMFTC).
The operation was launched at 10:20 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, on S. OsmeƱa St., Barangay Tinago, Cebu City.
The operation resulted in the arrest of three men who were loading cartons of cigarettes of various brands belonging to PMFTC.
The suspects, who are currently in the custody of the CIDG Regional Field Unit 7, are identified as alias Ramel, 44; Arnold, 24; and Ronie, 27, all residents of Bantayan Island, Cebu.
A CIDG 7 personnel stated that they received an intelligence report indicating that a vehicle was being loaded with cartons of cigarettes suspected to be counterfeit.
Consequently, the CIDG 7 along with RIU 7 immediately launched a surveillance monitoring operation and confirmed the information they received after they managed to purchase some of the cigarettes. The cigarettes they bought lacked the official seals from the Philippine government, indicating they had not paid the necessary taxes.
They also noted that the packaging was missing the graphic warning mandated by law.
After gathering the necessary information, they launched an operation while the suspects were still loading, and the cartons of cigarettes were immediately embargoed.
The CIDG later identified the owners of the cargo and included them in filing a case in court for violation of Section 10 of Republic Act 10643, also known as Transporting of Tobacco Products without Graphic Warnings.
The three suspects are currently in the custody of the CIDG Regional Field Unit 7. / AYB