Mindanaotoday.com | Trader nabbed for selling alleged ‘fake’ cigarettes in Cagayan de Oro
By: Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A team of government agents has arrested a businessman for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes at a public market here, a report from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said.
The CIDG Cagayan de Oro field unit identified the suspect as Bernard Pacho, 33, a native of Zamboanga City but currently residing in Barangay Balubal, this city.
Pacho, the agency said, was arrested at the Cogon public market for selling alleged illegal cigarette products.
With the CIDG are personnel from the city intelligence unit, local police, and the city health office.
Confiscated from the suspect were 887 cartons of cigarettes bearing various brand names and colors such as Commando, Nelson, Seven King, Champion, Establish, Hero, Modern, Green Hill, San Marino, Marbles, New Orleans, Astro, Dreamon, 2M, Gift, and Cannon.
The CIDG report said the seized items have an estimated market value of P280,000.
According to the CIDG field unit, Pacho will be facing charges for allegedly violating Republic Act 10643 or an act to effectively instill health consciousness through graphic health warnings on tobacco products; RA 8293, the intellectual property code; and RA 7394, the consumer act of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the police station in Barangay Cugman here turned over 50 boxes of alleged smuggled cigarettes to the Bureau of Customs in Cagayan de Oro on April 19.
A report posted by the BOC CDO district on its Facebook page quoted Capt. John Real dela Cerna, the Cugman police station commander, as saying a truck driver surrendered to them the cigarettes “upon discovering that the boxes they were about to deliver from Zamboanga to Dasmarinas, Cavite contained cigarettes contrary to the declaration of the person who hired them that it contained motor parts and accessories.”
BOC CDO said the undocumented cigarettes totaling 4,802 reams or 48,020 packs were branded as “San Diego Menthol and Lights” and have an appraised value of P7.9 million.
The tobacco products were handed over by dela Cerna to Oliver Valiente, BOC Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service field station chief for Cagayan de Oro and Surigao; Allan Cruz, commander of the BOC Enforcement and Security Services; and Miguel Oscar Pizarro, BOC CDO deputy collector for operations.
The agency said Alexandra Lumontad, BOC CDO district collector, will issue a warrant of seizure and detention against the subject smuggled goods in violation of the RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act upon the recommendation of ESS-CDO and CISS CDO and Surigao.
“The Bureau of Customs Port of Cagayan de Oro vowed to continue its coordination and cooperation with other law enforcement agencies to suppress all forms of smuggling through the guidance and support of BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio,” the BOC CDO said.
This is aligned with the economic agenda of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to protect the business sector including the public from the harmful effect of consuming smuggled goods, it added. (MT)
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