The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) is preparing charges against a suspected illegal cigarette smuggler after raiding a warehouse in Tanza, Cavite, which was allegedly disguised as a canned goods storage site.
Authorities discovered cigarette manufacturing machinery, industrial generators, and other equipment inside the facility, marking the fifth in a series of raids targeting tobacco smugglers.
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla claimed that these operations are likely backed by high-ranking government officials and vowed to stop the networks completely.
The suspects may face violations under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, with financial ties potentially traced through the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
Remulla also noted that many of the raided warehouses are owned by Chinese nationals and use machinery imported from Mainland China.
Source: PhilNews24 | February 21, 2026
ILLEGAL CIGARETTE SMUGGLING PROTECTED BY ‘BACKERS’ IN GOVERNMENT, SAYS REMULLA
Latest from Politics
The Quezon City government inaugurated its second multi-purpose basketball court with a built-in stormwater detention basin
The Senate Impeachment Court has ordered Vice President Sara Duterte’s chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, to
The city governments of Caloocan and Valenzuela ordered the removal of billboards and outdoor advertising materials
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. commended 50 government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) for remitting a record P147.15
The La Trinidad government has banned elementary and secondary students from staying in malls and other