AUTHORITIES confiscated close to 700,000 sticks of illicit cigarettes in Luzon over a two-month campaign, with Carnival emerging as the most frequently seized brand.
The series of operations, carried out under "Oplan Megashopper" by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and other enforcement agencies, underscored Carnival's prominence in the country's illicit tobacco market.
The crackdown began in Quezon City in early July, when operatives arrested a 29-year-old online seller and recovered 20,000 Carnival sticks along with counterfeit local brands.
Days later, two separate raids in Bamban, Tarlac resulted in the arrest of multiple suspects and the seizure of more than 37,000 Carnival sticks, along with other contraband labels.
In Cavite, CIDG personnel apprehended three suspects carrying various brands of illegal cigarettes, including 50,000 sticks of Carnival packaged as Black Menthol.
By August, the campaign was gaining momentum. A repeat offender in Laguna was caught selling assorted illicit products, with the bulk of the confiscated stock again identified as Carnival.
The single biggest raid took place in San Simon, Pampanga, where operatives uncovered a large-scale repacking hub and seized 520,000 sticks of Carnival Menthol, alongside sealing machines, packaging blanks, and empty master cases.
Investigators said the Pampanga facility showed clear evidence of organized counterfeit cigarette production.
In Orion, Bataan, a 42-year-old resident was arrested with 10,000 Carnival sticks in his possession, while another operation in Angeles City exposed a retail outlet hiding 20,200 Carnival sticks among legitimate products.
Authorities valued the Angeles haul at roughly P340,000.
The campaign's most recent raid, conducted in Dinalupihan, Bataan, led to the arrest of a 30-year-old suspect selling counterfeit tobacco. Two master cases each of Carnival Menthol and Carnival Red were seized, amounting to 20,000 sticks. Other brands were also recovered, but Carnival remained the largest volume.
In total, enforcement agencies seized nearly 722,000 illicit cigarettes across Luzon, with Carnival consistently surfacing as the leading brand in volume.
Investigators noted that the confiscated Carnival packs either lacked graphic health warnings or were missing official excise tax stamps, clear indicators of their illicit nature.
Criminal charges are being prepared against all suspects, who now face violations of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, the Graphic Health Warning Act, the Intellectual Property Code, and other anti-smuggling and economic sabotage laws.
Vehicles, repacking equipment, mobile phones, and marked money used in the operations were also taken into custody as evidence.
Rampant illicit cigarette trade has been linked to the decline in government tobacco excise tax revenues, which dropped from P174 billion in 2021 to P134 billion last year. (PR)