Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation with search warrants arrested six people and seized fake Mighty cigarettes in a series of crackdown over the weekend in Zamboanga City, Cebu and Nueva Ecija.
NBI-Western Mindanao Regional Office, under regional director Manuel Almendras held three stall owners at the Zamboanga Public Market for selling 3,400 fake packs of Mighty Menthol and Full Flavor variants.
Agent Paul Andrew Soriano arrested the owners, Abdurahan Bantulan of stall D-79, Nuriyah Julwadi of stall Q-10 and Susan Tan of stall D-01 based on a complaint filed by Mighty Corp., a Filipino-owned cigarette producer.
Meanwhile, NBI-Central Visayas Regional Office, under regional director Justo Yap, ordered NBI special investigator Florante Gaoiran to hold two stall owners, Marvin F. Suico of Stall No. 189012 and Juvelyn M. Fernandez of stall No. 009 at the public market of Pinamungajan, Cebu, for selling five boxes of fake Mighty Full Flavor and Mighty Menthol variants.
NBI-Cabanatuan district office under Ricardo Diaz with agents Marvin De Jemil and Rolan Fernandez arrested Federico Laranang of Barangay Malinao, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, for selling 50 reams of fake Mighty Full Flavor soft pack.
The suspects were held for violating Sections 155 (trademark infringement) and 168 (unfair competition) of Republic Act No. 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code.
NBI executive director Virgilio Mendez reminded traders to deal only with authorized company representatives.
“I ask all traders that for any product you sell, you must only deal with authorized company representatives who are in proper uniform with corresponding identification cards and company vehicles,” Mendez said as he cautioned other traders.
The NBI chief said aside from the Intellectual Property Code, those caught could also be held for violating R.A. 7394, or the Consumer Protection Act, and the National Internal Revenue Code, whose penalties range from one year to 12 years of imprisonment and fines of up to P200,000, or both.
Bureau of Customs, BIR, NBI and PNP authorities have launched a nationwide campaign against producers, distributors and traders of fake cigarettes since last year as shown in numerous apprehensions in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.