MANILA — Authorities have discovered three abandoned illegal cigarette factories in Pampanga, raising concerns over a possible syndicate operating in the province.

The discovery follows a January 29 raid on a similar facility in Mexico, Pampanga, where millions of pesos worth of illicit cigarettes and equipment were seized.

At a press briefing on Monday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla cited the potential involvement of a “tobacco lord” allegedly aided by two Central Luzon lawmakers.

“Under investigation sila. So hindi namin papangalanan pero sila ay persons of interest dito (They are under investigation. So we cannot name them yet but they are persons of interest here),” Remulla said.

The abandoned sites were located in San Fernando City, Pampanga with the National Tobacco Administration and that none of the sites had business permits from their local government units.

“Ibig sabihin, 100 percent ilegal ang ginagawa dito (That means everything they’re doing here is 100 percent illegal),” Remulla said.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police force will continue operations against illegal cigarette production to prevent it from becoming a social menace similar to the now-banned Philippine offshore gaming operators.

“Our intelligence-gathering and information sharing with other government agencies have been intensified not only in the conduct of operations but also in building airtight cases against those involved,” Nartatez said.

The statement came after Romero Quimbo described the illegal cigarette trade as the “new POGO,” alleging it is run by foreigners and marked by inhumane labor conditions.