Members of the NBI Special Task Force, under Assistant Regional Director Reynaldo Esmeralda, apprehended Chen Ti Yu Guo, alias Peter Tan and Peter Chen, 35, businessman, and a resident of San Juan; Robert Kua Tiu, 34, of Malate, Manila; and caretaker Winefreda Dalangin, of Tondo, Manila.
Former Army Vice Chief of Staff Rodolfo Garcia, who now works as assistant to the president of Fortune Tobaco Corp. (FTC), said they sought the NBI’s assistance last June 23 after confirming that a syndicate was manufacturing fake Winston cigarettes.
NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco said they applied search warrants for establishments located at 201 Del Monte Avenue, Quezon City and at 188 Wayan street, Masambong 1, Quezon City, where the fake products were allegedly being stored.
Judge Rosa Samson-Tatad of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued the warrant.
Garcia said Chen had long been involved in the manufacture of fake products. "It was just that he always managed to elude arrest." He has a standing arrest warrant for trademark infringement and unfair competition covered under Republic Act 8293.
When the NBI-STF raided the establishments at 4 p.m. last June 28, they found the three suspects inside one of the warehouses. They were taken to the NBI detention facility pending the filing of charges against them.
Bail was set at P30,000.
If found guilty, they face a jail term of six months to six years and a fine of not less than P10,000, depending on the discretion of the court.
The 141 boxes of Winston cigarettes, each containing 50 reams, were turned over to FTC.
"The tobacco industry has lost a sizable amount of revenue because of the proliferation of counterfeit cigarettes," Garcia said.
Esmeralda said the illegal products are either manufactured in the country or are shipped from China and enter the country through Mindanao ports or Subic.
"These fake goods have already infiltrated shopping malls and groceries," he said.
Esmeralda explained that some store owners prefer buying from these dealers because the selling price is cheaper by 50 percent.
Those who have sampled fake cigarettes said the quality is inferior.
"It’s like smoking papaya leaves. The smoker might also suffer from itchy throats. The fake cigarettes also have a shorter storage time of three months, leading to discoloration," he said.