MANILA — The Philippine government scored another victory against the counterfeit cigarette industry after the discovery of an illegal manufacturing facility in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, leading to the arrest of 16 Chinese nationals.
In a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said members of the Bureau’s Enforcement and Security Service (ESS) served the Letter of Authority (LOA) to the undisclosed facility last August 18.
“We have coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration regarding arrested personalities,” Lapeña added in his report.
It was reported the Bureau of Customs (BOC) is scheduled to present to media the seized facility on Monday.
The Department of Finance (DOF) and its attached agencies, BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), have reportedly been in constant coordination with law enforcement agencies to address illicit cigarette manufacturing.
The strengthened drive against counterfeit cigarettes has resulted in the unearthing of several unregistered factories and confiscation of millions-worth of cigarettes nationwide.
Earlier this year, policemen and operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confiscated an estimated PHP4 million worth of alleged illicit cigarettes in two separate raids in Barangay 35 and Singcang-Airport in Bacolod City. These are in addition to the raids in Bulacan.
The Department of Finance (DOF) said it is supporting measures calling for an increase in cigarette taxes, in a bid to raise additional revenue for the government and address smoking-related diseases. (Joann Villanueva/PNA)
