Camp BGen Vicente P Lim, Calamba City – Joint operatives of the
Criminal Investigation
and Detection Group
(CIDG) – Batangas Provincial Field Unit under
Ltc Victor Sobrepena
in collaboration with
the Rosario Municipal
Police Station and personnel from a cigarette
company, successfully
seized P1,601,730.00
worth of counterfeit cigarettes and apprehended 2 suspects during an
entrapment operation
conducted at 11:50 AM
on January 11, 2024, in
Brgy. San Carlos, Rosario, Batangas.
The arrested suspects, identified as alias
“Mark” and alias “Ronnie”, both residents
of Brgy. Tulos, Rosario, Batangas will face
charges for violation of
RA 8293 (Intellectual
Property Rights Code
of the Philippines) and
RA 10643 (An Act To
Effectively Instill Health
Consciousness Through
Graphic Health Warnings On Tobacco Products).
The operation was
initiated following a
complaint from an Illicit Trade Prevention
Executive of cigarette
company, reporting the
activities of the suspects
involving unfair competition and trademark infringement.
During the operation, authorities confiscated significant
amounts of counterfeit
cigarettes valued at
P1,601,730.00, a cellular
phone and boodle money.
The arrested individuals and the confiscated items were
transported to the CIDG
Batangas PFU office
for documentation and
proper disposition.

PBGen Paul Kenneth T Lucas, Regional
Director of PRO CALABARZON, commended
all the operating units
involved in the successful apprehension of the
suspects and the confiscation of such a significant number of counterfeit cigarettes. “This
successful operation is
the result of the relentless efforts of our law
enforcement agencies
in combating intellectual property rights violations and protecting
public health,” he said.
Lucas also assures
the public that PNP CALABARZON remain committed in dismantling
illegal operations and
bringing perpetrators to
justice. “We will do our
best to place these violators behind bars and
make them feel the full
gravity of the law,” he
added.
(ROSELLE AQUINO)