Fake cigarettes seized in Nueva Ecija; woman arrested

Talavera, Nueva Ecija – Fake cigarettes were seized and a woman arrested by authorities in Barangay San Pascual on the evening of 25 August 2025.

According to the Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office, during patrol operations, officers came across a person riding a black-and-blue Kawasaki Bajaj CT100 motorcycle with sidecar, without a plate number, parked along an irrigation road.

Police questioned the woman regarding the vehicle’s registration documents when they noticed a box containing suspected cigarettes in plain view. Upon verification, the items were confirmed to be counterfeit, prompting the immediate arrest of the 30-year-old resident.

Confiscated from her possession was a box of counterfeit “Two Moon” brand cigarettes with an estimated market value of P12,000. The seized items are now under the custody of Talavera Police Station for documentation and proper disposition.

A case for violation of RA 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines) is being prepared against the suspect for filing before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor through inquest proceedings.