BIR Cracks Down on Illegal Cigarette Operations in Philippines

Feb.21

BIR raids illegal cigarette factory and warehouses in the Philippines, seizes materials and machinery, arrests suspects, files $1.5 billion tax evasion case.

On February 17, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) of the Philippines announced on its official website that simultaneous raids were conducted on an illegal cigarette factory in Bulacan province and three illegal cigarette warehouses in Barasuel, on the evening of November 6, 2024. These four locations are believed to be connected to the same criminal syndicate. Authorities seized raw materials, cigarette manufacturing machines, and packaging machines during the operation, and arrested six Chinese suspects.

The BIR has filed a tax evasion lawsuit against a criminal group amounting to as high as 8.5 billion pesos (1.5 billion US dollars), marking the largest operation in 2024 by the BIR against the illegal cigarette market. Director Lumagui stated that the tax authorities will continue to file criminal charges against large-scale illegal cigarette manufacturers and distributors, emphasizing that the production and sale of all illegal cigarettes in the Philippines is illegal, regardless of scale.

References:

[1] Lumagui: BIR files 8.5B Tax Evasion Case after Night Raid of Illicit Cigarette Factory & Warehouses in Bulacan & Valenzuela; Largest BIR Raid against Illicit Cigarette for 2024

Also Read:

[1] BIR to Intensify Enforcement Against Illegal E-cigarette and Cigarette Trading

[2] Philippine Customs Seize Billions Worth of Smuggled Items in 2024

[3] Philippine Congress Passes Bill on Tobacco and E-cigarette Tax Adjustments

[4] Philippine Bureau of Customs Destroys Smuggled E-Cigarettes Worth 580,000 USD

[5] BIR Plans More Lawsuits Against Illegal E-Cigarette Traders in 2025

[6] Philippine Government Exceeds 2024 Fiscal Revenue Target with Surplus

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