Stronger enforcement vs illicit cigarette trade urged

MANILA, Philippines — A consumer advocacy group on Thursday called on the government to strengthen enforcement and monitoring against the illicit cigarette trade, citing signs the country is being used as an export base in Southeast Asia.

CitizenWatch Philippines issued the call and warning after the Philippine National Police seized P1.1 billion worth of illicit cigarettes in an April 10 raid on a facility operated by Baisisen Global Corporation in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Recovered during the raid were 26.79 million cigarette sticks under brands such as A380, Promax, M, SOHO, 9th Century, 9th Blend, United, Davidoff, and Queen, along with 10.64 million counterfeit Malaysian tax stamps, which could support the production of up to 212.8 million additional cigarette sticks.

READ: BOC raids warehouse allegedly involved in illegal cigarette production

Authorities even estimated that the total scale of the network could exceed P5 billion when factoring in counterfeit tax stamps recovered at the site.

The group’s co-convenor Orlando Oxales noted that this operation underscored how illicit trade has evolved into a more “complex, cross-border system” in the country.

“The Philippines is no longer just dealing with illicit cigarettes entering the market—we are now seeing signs that we are exporting them across Southeast Asia,” Oxales said in a statement.

Citing the authorities, CitizenWatch said the facility raided in Cebu is supposedly linked to Malaysia-based entities such as Gillion Tobacco Sdn Bhd and Long One Trading Sdn Bhd, which are believed to be key players in the distribution of illicit cigarettes in the region.

With this, Oxales said the case highlights the need for stronger enforcement and tighter monitoring.

“This is no longer a localized issue. It is part of a broader regional network that requires coordinated action from both national agencies and local enforcement units,” he said. /cb