The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) confiscated 55 master cases of illicit Carnival Red cigarettes worth P137,390 after the voluntary surrender of 19 boxes in Valenzuela City led authorities to a stockroom in Caloocan City.
The operation was set in motion when an individual transporting cigarette boxes from Caloocan to Valenzuela sought police assistance after the intended recipient failed to appear and became unreachable. The individual turned over 19 boxes of Carnival Red cigarettes for verification and proper disposition.
Information obtained from the surrendered items enabled NCRPO and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) personnel to trace the source location and conduct further validation. Through inter‑agency coordination, the BIR issued a mission order authorizing inspection of the identified area.
Authorities discovered 55 master cases of Carnival Red King Size Class A Filter cigarettes inside a rented stockroom in Barangay 89, Caloocan City.
BIR personnel confirmed that the cigarette products lacked the mandatory internal revenue stamp required under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended—indicating possible non‑payment of excise taxes. The confiscated items were inventoried and will be transferred to an authorized storage facility for safekeeping and proper disposition.
Investigators are now working to identify individuals connected to the rented storage facility and determine the extent of their involvement. The establishment owner was not present during the enforcement activity.
