OPERATIVES of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Thursday raided a warehouse manufacturing illegal cigarettes, arrested five suspects and seized at least P1 billion worth of equipment and items in Pampanga.

CIDG Region 3 chief Col. Norberto Delmas said his men and members of the San Simon, Pampanga police as well as representatives from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Department of Science and Technology conducted the raid at a warehouse in Blk 22 Lot 9, Global Aseana Park 1, San Simon which resulted in the confiscation of smuggled raw materials for cigarettes, fake BIR tax stamp and equipment and machine used for manufacturing the fake cigarettes worth at least P1 billion.

Delmas identified the suspects who were arrested in the raid as Danny Martizano, Ryan Tilanduca, Sammy Molina, Efren Taconto and Richie Arminion.

Among the items confiscated by the raiding team were P 147,000 worth of fake green BIR stamps, P1.47 million worth of invalid light blue BIR stamps, 12 cigarette packer machines, two cigarette maker machines, 10 boxes labels, 100 rolls cigarette paper, 35 rolls tipping paper, 46 rolls cigarette foil, 48,000 cigarette filters, four boxes cigarette paper, 36 boxes Jackpot soft label, 27 boxes of Fortune soft label, 28 boxes of Marvels soft label, 23 boxes of Mighty soft label, 101 boxes inner frame, 384 rolls cigarette foil, 19 boxes of acetate foam, 17 containers of glue, 54 containers of plastic Izol, 74 rolls of pack film and 216 rolls of tape.

An Isuzu truck loaded with several sacks of dried tobacco and a Hyundai van were impounded.

The suspects will be charged with smuggling and counterfeiting.

Delmas said the operation was based on the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte against violators of BIR’s National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 and the Intellectual Property Law.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Bernard Galang