Man arrested in Palawan for 'selling, distributing smuggled cigarettes'

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have arrested a man who was allegedly selling and distributing smuggled cigarettes in Roxas, Palawan.

NBI Officer-In-Charge Director Eric B. Distor identified him as Wenzar Dassan who was arrested last May 15 during an entrapment operation conducted by the NBI’s Puerto Princesa District Office (NBI-PUERDO).

Distor said that Dassan has been charged before the Palawan Provincial Prosecutor’s Office with violations of Republic Act No. 1937, the Revised and Codified Tariff and Customs Code, as amended by RA 10863.

In a statement, the NBI said “the operation also resulted in the seizure of reams of ‘New Berlin Cigarettes (Red), Fort Menthol Cigarettes (Green), Fort Full Flavour Cigarettes (Red), Fort Black Menthol,’ cash, and entrapment money.”

It said the operation was conducted due to intelligence reports on rampant selling and distribution of imported cigarette from Malaysia and Indonesia without the payment of proper taxes and duties due to the Philippine government.

“To verify the veracity of the report, NBI-PUERDO conducted surveillance and test-buy operations in various public markets in Palawan,” the NBI said.

During the test-buys, it said agents of the NBI-PUERDO were able to purchase the cigarette brands “Fort,” “Bravo,” and “New Berlin” from Dassan.

“Based on the packaging, the cigarettes were manufactured in Malaysia and Indonesia and do not have the proper seal and tax stamps of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (of the Philippines), in violation of RA 1937 otherwise known as the Revised and Codified Tariff and Customs Code,” the NBI said.