PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. has ordered all concerned police units to build much stronger cases against personalities behind the smuggling as well as illegal local production and distribution of cigarettes in the country amid the gains made by his men in the crackdown.
Since December last year, PNP operatives led by the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) headed by Brigadier Gen. Hansel M. Marantan have accounted for nearly P3 billion worth of smuggled or illegally-produced tobacco products in the country, all of them found to have no tobacco health warning signs.
The PNP-HPG operations were conducted in Quezon City, San Simon, Pampanga; Batangas City, Malabon City and Valenzuela City. Those anti-smuggling operations led to the confiscation of tens of thousands of master cases of smuggled cigarette products.
Target of the case build-up are the suspected ‘financiers and even protectors’ of the syndicates.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla Jr. earlier said they are investigating ‘two Central Luzon politicians’ for their involvement in illicit cigarette production and smuggling in the region.
Gen. Nartatez said they are also zeroing in on the ‘financier’ of nearly P48 million worth of illicit cigarettes recovered by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group under Major Gen. Robert Alexander A. Morico II in Bgy. Tibag, Tarlac City last February 9.
The contrabands discovered in two unattended container vans were linked to the operations of four men earlier arrested by the police for involvement in cigarette smuggling and distribution.
On Monday, Gen. Nartatez, Sec. Remulla and BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno inspected three clandestine cigarette production sites smashed by the CIDG, the Police Regional Office 3 under Brig. Gen.Ponce Rogelio I Peñones and the PNP-IG headed by Brig. Gen. David N. Poklay in Pampanga province.
The three illegal cigarette production facilities were discovered days after police also smashed a similar manufacturing site in Mexico municipality where multimillion-peso worth of cigarettes and equipment were seized. Smuggled cigarettes or those being manufactured in underground factories in the country have no proper tax stamps and graphic health warnings in full violation of the law..
A tip from a netizen led to the discovery of the illegal cigar factory in Pampanga where over P70 million tobacco products were recovered.
Gen. Nartatez said that shortly after the livestreaming of the press conference regarding the raided illegal cigarette warehouses in San Fernando City, San Simon and Mexico towns, a netizen informed the PNP, through an SMS, of the existence of similar warehouse in a business park.
CIDG officers proceeded to the area to check and through the clear glass window of the warehouse, detectives were able to confirm the presence of illicit “Modern” and “HP” brands cigarettes inside the compound. A verification made with the barangay officials disclosed that the target warehouse has no issued business permit.
So far, authorities have seized cigarette-making and repacking machines, tobacco drying equipment, raw materials, suspected counterfeit BIR tax stamps, and large volumes of finished products in different Pampanga sites.
“Simultaneous ito at well-coordinated. Mula sa pinakamaliit hanggang sa pinakamalaki, nakukuha at naaaresto natin ang mga involved. With the LGU, Department of Finance, BIR, Customs, PNP, and NBI working together, we are implementing not only existing laws, but also Republic Act 12022, Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage—part of the President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s directive,” Gen. Nartatez said.
“Kailangan nating malaman ang ecosystem ng ganitong operations. Ilan ang pumapasok na sasakyan, saan galing ang mga sigarilyo at dahon ng tabacco. May CCTV, police presence, at validation ng National Tobacco Administration. Lahat ng items at personalities ay may trace, lalo na kung may permit sila o dumaan sa legal channels. This is a fully coordinated, end-to-end operation,” the top cop added.
Gen. Nartatez also emphasized the broader purpose behind their crackdown.
“Hindi lang ito tungkol sa government revenues. Ito rin ay para sa health hazards na dulot ng mga illegal cigarettes. Kaya kasali ang Department of Health (DOH) at Department of Energy (DOE) sa monitoring. Patuloy ang operations—from warehouses sa Mindanao hanggang sa tindahan at transport routes sa highways. May mga warehouse pa na hinukay sa ilalim ng lupa na may milyong-milyong sigarilyo. Lahat ng ito ay documented at validated,” he said.
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