DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 5 Sept)—Police arrested on Tuesday 16 street vendors, including two minors, for selling fake and smuggled cigarettes in the city, a police official said.
Capt. Hazel Tuazon, spokesperson for the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), said in a report that authorities confiscated 3,091 packs of assorted brands of counterfeit cigarettes with an estimated value of P154,550 from vendors at the Bankerohan Public Market in Poblacion District.
She said seized products included fake cigarette brands of the PMFTC Inc., the Philippine affiliate of the Philip Morris International.
The firm manufactures the Marlboro, Fortune, Champion, Hope, More, and Jackpot cigarettes brands.
She said the operation was conducted to clamp down on the rampant peddling of counterfeit tobacco products.
Arrested were Yusop M. Maunga, 26; Makie Cotongan, 27; Jamay Cotongan, 27; Abdulsalem Dima, 25; Dika Benasing, 50; Abdulnasir Ahalul, 37; Naima Dimakuta, 34; Noronisa Jamal, 25; Arwen Andang, 26; Aninah Lomodnot, 30; Norodin Dipatuan, 32; Abdulwajed Imran, 25; Noraida Domaraya, 60; and Analiza Cotongan, 21.
She said the two minors were turned over to the custody of the Women and Children Protection Desk. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
