Authorities arrested 24 Chinese nationals during a raid at four warehouses of fake cigarettes in Villasis town, Pangasinan Friday morning.

Operatives from the Bureau of Customs and Villasis police conducted the raid around 8 am. Four warehouses in Barangay Unzad were inspected.

Pangasinan police director Senior Superintendent Ronald Lee said the operation was carried out based on a letter of authority signed by Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon.

The target of the raid is a certain Toni Li, a businessman allegedly engaged in manufacturing counterfeit cigarettes.

The names of the arrested Chinese are Lai Yi Xiang, Un Ming Fu, Huang Wei Sen, Zhing Yi Hu, Zhing Li Qin, Gao Shu Hua, Gao Young Chang, Gao Chang Fu, Chuah Thean Lai, Zhu Bing Zhu, Chengong, Yi Yon Hou, Shi Sheng Lin, Ling Xiao Ping,

Zhing Bin Hu, Chen Li Ping, Yang Wan Yi, Zhang Shi Pin, Chen Song

Baz, Pu Zhenxos, Luo Yu Bao, Huang Yue Qin, Li Changbin and Jiang

Zhang Tang

They were turned over to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings.

Seized during the raid are 11 units cigarette making/packaging machines, 1,453 sacks cut-filter, 27 containers menthol solution, 1,149 master cases of assorted cigarettes, 22 trays of filter, 378 inner liner rolls , 469 clear wrapped rolls , 2,173 reams counterfeit

Bureau of Internal Revenue tax stamps, 88 glues, 1,251 packs of cigarette brand soft labels, four air compressor and 3,244 bundles of assorted master cases.

The suspects are facing charges for violating Republic Act 8293, or the Intellectual Property Code. Emmanuel Tupas/DMS