By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
More than P70 million worth of smuggled tobacco products were seized during a police operation in a warehouse in San Simon, Pampanga, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.
The warehouse in Barangay San Pablo Libutad was reported by a netizen a few hours after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, PNP Chief PGen. Jose Melecencio Nartatez Jr. and officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Department of Agriculture presented to the public three warehouses and manufacturing sites in Pampanga on Monday.
In a news release on Tuesday, Nartatez said upon receiving the text message from the netizen, a team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) immediately proceeded to the area and confirmed the presence of illicit cigarette brands inside the compound.
Seized were 533 Master Cases of Modern Green Cigarettes; 455 Master Cases of Modern Red Cigarettes; 13 Master Cases of HP Red Cigarettes; 1 Master Case of Delta Cigarettes; 35 Reams of New Orleans Cigarettes; 25 Reams of Delta Cigarettes; 7 Packs of Nelson Cigarettes; 45 Reams of HP Cigarettes; 76 Packs of Delta Cigarettes; and 2 Packs of New Orleans Cigarettes.
Also seized were assorted raw materials for the manufacturing and repacking of cigarettes.
Verification with the barangay officials also showed that the warehouse has no business permit.
“This is another proof of what we can achieve if we all work together to enforce the law and maintain peace and order. Criminal elements and syndicates stand no chance to operate and conduct illegal activities in a community that is united and working together towards peace and development,” Nartatez said.
“This successful operation is clearly a result of the renewed trust and confidence of the people to their Philippine National Police,” he added.
Nartatez said they are now coordinating with concerned government agencies to identify the owner and/or lessee of the warehouse.
Meanwhile, Nartatez said the PNP is intensifying efforts to dismantle the illegal cigarette networks in the country and stop the possibility of its illicit profits from funding organized crime and other unlawful activities.
“Based on our intelligence reports and the scale of these operations, this is not just about tax evasion, this is organized crime. Ang kinikita rito ay bilyon-bilyon, at ang pondong ito ay maaaring gamitin sa iba pang ilegal na aktibidad gaya ng smuggling ng armas, human trafficking, o pati na rin sa pagpopondo ng mga private armed groups,” he said.
He said investigators are coordinating with the BOC and other enforcement units to determine how funds move across regions and identify those involved in the chain.
“No amount of money, influence, or political connections can protect those behind this. Kahit sino pa ang sangkot, hahabulin namin kayo,” Nartatez said.
He also called on the public to take part in the campaign against the proliferation of illegal cigarettes and report suspicious activities in warehouses in their communities.
Nartatez said concerned citizens may report through the Unified 911 System, assuring that their identity will be protected.
Congressional probe
Meanwhile, Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Alyssa Michaela “Mica” Gonzales has filed a resolution directing the appropriate committee of the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the recent discovery of illegal cigarette factories in Pampanga.
House Resolution No. 788, which was filed on Monday, seeks to investigate and identify the people behind these operations, specifically the financiers, masterminds and protectors of this organized crime.
In a statement on Tuesday, Gonzales said the resolution seeks to address the illegal acts resulting in economic sabotage, tax evasion and the reported incidents of human trafficking.
She said the House will review the pertinent provisions of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. (With a report from Zaldy De Layola / PNA)
