Customs nabs 5 Chinese, seize printing machines for fake cigarette labels
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2019 10:54:03 +0000
PRINTING equipment used in the manufacture of fake cigarette labels were seized on Thursday by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) following an anti-smuggling operation in a warehouse in Valenuzela City.
In the same operation, combined operatives from the Enforcement and Security Service (ESS), Custom’s Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS), Bureau’s Action Team Against Smugglers and Philippine Coast Guard – Special Operation Group also arrested five Chinese and a Filipino for their alleged involvement in the illegal activities.
In a report to Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, the Chinese were identified as Kevin Tan, Alex Chan, James Sy, Tin Fu, and one alias Tonyo and a Filipino identified as a certain Michael Jamora.
The suspects were charged for violation of the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8293, otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, and pertinent provisions of RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
Guerrero said the operations were conducted after the BoC received derogatory information that a warehouse in Valenzuela City may be involved in smuggling of fake cigarette labels/packagings.
Armed with a Letter of Authority, the team, together with the local police and officials from the local government unit, as well as the brand owner representatives from Phillip Morris and Japan Tobacco International (JTI), inspected the warehouse/facility at Michel Printing Services, Maysan Road corner A. Cantillon Street, Valenzuela City for possible violation of Customs laws, rules, and regulations.
Found inside the warehouse were illegally imported printing machines, cutting machines used for printing, unauthorized cigarette pack labels and carton labels bearing the brands Fortune, Mark, Hope, More and Jackpot trademarks.
The pack labels and carton labels, otherwise known as “hinge lid blanks,”were examined by the representatives from Phillip Morris and Fortune Tobacco and confirmed that the same were fake and did not bear the characteristics of the original/genuine Fortune, Mark, More and Jackpot hinge lid blanks.
More than 160 milliion worth of fake cigarettes and cigarette-making machines, among other smuggled goods, were also seized by Customs operatives in several warehouses the towns of Marilao and Sta. Maria in Bulacan.
Seized were 1,339 master cases of fake Mighty, Fortune, Hope, Belmont, Marlboro, Modern, Double Happiness and Camel cigarettes valued at P40.170 million.
Also recovered were nine units of cigarette-making machines and fake cigarette tax stamps worth at least P120 million.
“These series of apprehensions are the results of a more tightened enforcement operations being conducted by BOC operatives,” Guerrero said.
The BoC chief had ordered a close watch on the illegal importation of cigarette-making machines into the country to put a stop to the the manufacture of fake tobacco products.
The Customs bureau also made representations with its Chinese counterpart not to allow the exportation of cigarette-making machines from China without proper and complete documentation.
Years back, the BoC also led the crackdown on local cigarette manufacturing company Mighty Corp. for selling cigarettes with fake BIR tax stamps estimated at P5.407. WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL
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