The Manila Times
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) seized an estimated P1.8 billion worth of illegal goods and arrested several suspects in a series of nationwide operations targeting illicit trade and illegal mining. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Saturday that the operations conducted on April 10 were part of an intensified campaign against economic and environmental violations, carried out in coordination with other government agencies. In Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, joint police units implemented a search warrant at a facility inside the Cebu Light Industrial Park in Barangay Basak, leading to the arrest of five individuals, including four foreigners. Authorities said the suspects were involved in the manufacture of illicit cigarettes using falsified documents, in violation of Article 172 of the Revised Penal Code. Seized during the operation were thousands of boxes of cigarettes bearing alleged fake tax stamps, along with production machinery, raw tobacco, and packaging materials valued at about P1.1 billion. The suspects are now in police custody, while the confiscated items remain secured at the site due to their volume. In a separate operation later that day, the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, in coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), raided a warehouse in Barangay East Canumay, Valenzuela City under Oplan Mega Shopper. Authorities seized imported perfumes worth around P700 million. The operation was conducted based on verified intelligence and a Letter of Authority issued by Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno. The primary suspect, identified only as “Allen,” remains at large, with follow-up operations ongoing. The seized goods will undergo verification by the DTI to determine compliance with safety and quality standards under Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines. All items have been turned over to the BOC, while charges are being prepared against those involved. Meanwhile, in Surigao del Sur, police conducted an anti-illegal mining operation in Barangay Osmeña, Tagbina, resulting in the arrest of two individuals. Personnel from the 1st Surigao del Sur Provincial Mobile Force Company, in coordination with the Tagbina Municipal Police Station and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), carried out the operation based on intelligence reports. Authorities confiscated mining equipment, including a water pump, sluice mats, digging tools, and about 70 sacks of soil materials believed to contain gold traces. The suspects face charges for violation of Republic Act 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. The arrested individuals are now in custody, while the seized materials have been turned over to the DENR for proper disposition.
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