Rubio Vows To Scrub Illicit Cigarette Traders

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio said the bureau, in collaboration with the tobacco industry stakeholders, will be developing strategies to further improve their fight against illicit cigarette trade.

Photo Insert: A Bulacan BOC operation in which P900-M worth of smuggled goods, illicit cigarettes included, was seized.

Rubio, along with Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service Director Verne Enciso and Intellectual Property Rights Division Chief Paul Oliver Pacunayen, recently held discussions with executives from Philip Morris International (PMI) and Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC).

The meeting was to address the escalating issue of illicit tobacco products flooding the market.

Rubio addressed the importance of identifying gaps in existing strategies and the need for close collaboration with tobacco companies to effectively combat the deceptive methods employed by these groups.

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