Manila, Feb. 6 -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified intelligence-gathering to locate and shut down illegal cigarette factories nationwide.

In a statement on Friday, the PNP said it is conducting simultaneous intelligence validation following reports that at least 10 such factories are operating in various parts of the country.

"We cannot allow these people to operate because our government is losing billions of pesos that are supposed to be used for social services," PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

"We have intensified our intelligence-gathering to track down these illegal factories and arrest those behind their operation."

Nartatez directed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and ...