P32M worth of fake cigarettes seized, 4 suspects arrested —PNP

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) seized more than P32 million worth of suspected fake cigarettes in Balagtas, Bulacan Sunday night, the Philippine National Police said on Monday.

In a statement, the PNP sait it also arrested four suspects, identifying them as Zeng Qiangjian, 42; Lin Shanxiong, 48; John Bejay Agujar, 25; and Rodolfo Brosas, 25.

The PNP said the following were confiscated during the operation:

• 27 cartons of Marlboro light cigarettes (50 reams each carton)
• six cartons of Marlboro red cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 41 cartons of Marvel red cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 26 cartons of Jackpot cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 41 carton of Union cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 15 cartons of Cambo cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 167 cartons of fortune blue cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 49 cartons of Mighty green cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 637 cartons of Two Moon cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 95 cartons of Fortune green cigarettes (50 reams each)
• 244 cartons of D&B cigarettes (50 reams each)

According to the PNP, the confiscated fake cigarettes are worth P32,305,000.

Also recovered from the operation were an Isuzu elf truck, some boodle money, and P1,000.

The four suspects will be facing charges for alleged violation of Article 189 of the Revised Penal Code, the Consumer Act of the Philippines, the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, and the Act to Revise and Codify the Tariff and Custom Law of the Philippines.

“Patuloy ang mga iligal na gawain sa panahon ng pandemya [These illegal activities continue amid the pandemic] and that is the reason we in the PNP are also not lowering our guard against them,” PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said. — BM, GMA News