P500K fake cigarettes seized in GenSan

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Police recovered around PHP500,000 worth of counterfeit cigarettes in an operation at a village here on Monday.

Senior Insp. Fernando Manuel, chief of Police Station 7 here, said they intercepted the fake cigarettes Monday morning while being unloaded from a van at a portion of Block 8, MC village in Barangay Fatima.

The seized cigarettes, which carried assorted local brands, comprised a total of 32 boxes, he said.

Manuel said they arrested its alleged owner, identified as Olan Madumadi, and van driver Noel Padilla.

"We received a report that there are fake cigarettes being unloaded in the area so we immediately responded," he said in a radio interview Tuesday.

The official said they also conducted a search operation at an outlet of Jades Cargo Services due to information that it was being used to transport the fake cigarettes.

However, he said the raid turned negative as the shipment was already picked by its consignee, who was identified as Hannah Abubakar.

Manuel said the suspects, who are currently detained at the city police station-07 lockup, will be charged for violation of Republic Act 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

Last week, joint police operatives arrested two alleged traders of fake cigarettes in separate entrapment operations in Polomolok town in South Cotabato.

The operations resulted in the recovery of some 2,686 reams of fake cigarettes, mostly marked with the Mighty brand. (PNA)