Samples of counterfeit cigarettes seized by the Bureau of Customs (CDN FILE PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Customs authorities here and from the office of Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon confiscated P10 million worth of counterfeit imported tobacco products and other goods during raids conducted on at least two warehouses on Wednesday, Bureau of Customs officials said.
Sonny Sarmiento, Customs technical assistant assigned at Faeldon’s office, said the raid was conducted in the wake of information that smuggled and counterfeit items have been proliferating in Northern Mindanao region, including this city.
Sarmiento said Faeldon approved the conduct of the raid against the warehouses owned by a Mr. Chan. It was also backed by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
He said the Customs was able to determine that the goods were counterfeit through the help of experts the agency tapped for the purpose.
Sarmiento said the experts, using a set of parameters, were able to establish that the products were fake based on those factors.
The bulk of the seized goods contained cigarettes bearing various brand names and reportedly came from mainland China and Taiwan.
Sarmiento said more than 300 boxes of cigarettes alone were valued at P7.5 million based on the prevailing market price.
Aside from the cigarettes, also confiscated were firecrackers, insecticide, medicines, mosquito killers, wires and insecticide.
Sarmiento said they would give the owner of the items a chance to explain and show any legal document, “then we will process the [documents] and the district collector will communicate with them.”
Lawyer Roswald Joseph Pague, BOC-10 assistant collector, said the confiscated goods would be brought to the district office for further verification and assessment. SFM