P1.9M fake cigarettes seized in Cebu City
Nearly P2 million worth of fake cigarettes were confiscated during an operation by authorities on Tuesday, June 20. | Emmariel Ares
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Mandaue City Field Unit confiscated P1.9 million worth of fake cigarettes from a retail store in MC Briones Street, Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, on Tuesday evening, June 20,2023.
According to Police Captain Nigel Sanoy, the operation was a continuation to a previous operation in Danao City.
He said that the store owner was pointed out as the supplier of sellers from the province. After the information was validated through surveillance, a buy bust was conducted.
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The samples were then sent to the owner of the brands: Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Company (PMFPC), who certified that it was fake.
He stated that the operation was a collaborative effort of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the two involved companies.
Operatives arrested the alleged suspect, Allen Lim, 40, a Chinese national. While his companion, Marilyn Lim, eluded arrest.
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According to Sanoy, Lim will be facing charges in violation of Section 172, 263 and 265 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, Republic Act 8293 or Intellectual Property Code and Republic Act 10643 or Graphic Warning Law.
Confiscated during the operation were counterfeit cigarettes with a total estimated market value of P1,900,000.
According to Sanoy, tips from the community when they reported buying these products helped them find out about these activities.
He said that some sellers in the city would only sell to clients they already know and that suppliers would receive orders through text while retailers would put them on display to sell.
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For imitations of popular brands of cigarettes, Sanoy suspected that these were sourced in the country and that the other cigarette packs were smuggled from Indonesia.
The fake cigarettes had a different taste to the original and each ream per box had the same serial numbers, said Sanoy.
He said that this problem was rampant not just in Cebu but in the entire country which was why they would be continuously making efforts to address this issue.
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