BOTOLAN, Zambales — The provincial police office and the Department of Trade and Industry seized fake cigarettes amounting to P1 million in Barangay Santiago in this town on Sunday afternoon, July 11, 2021.
Major Rolando Ballon, Botolan Municipal Police Station chief said, his men and the DTI conducted a buy-bust operation along Zambales-Tarlac Road on the shipment of counterfeit cigarettes.
Arrested suspects were identified as Marlon Garcia y Tiglao, 42-year-old resident of Angeles City; Felipe Valdez y Sangil, 39-year-old resident of San Fernando, Pampanga; Joryson Tawatao y De Dios, 43-year-old resident of Masinloc; Melody Tawatao y Edquibal, 41-year-old resident of Masinloc.
Suspects were arrested in possession of a white Mitsubishi FB; a gray Mitsubishi Hi-Ace van; 30 boxes of assorted cigarettes; and five reams of Fortune Blue cigarettes.
The contrabands were estimated worth around P1,195,400.
Both suspects were facing an appropriate charges and the contrabands were taken into custody of the Botolan Municipal police station.
