The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Monday it filed criminal cases with the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) on July 1, 2025 against individuals allegedly involved in two major illicit cigarette operations. These cases stem from an estimated P796.95 million in tax deficiencies.
The BIR, led by Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr., elevated the cases to the CTA after the Department of Justice (DOJ) ruled in favor of the agency’s complaints.
One case targets the lessee of a warehouse in Barangay Ugong, Valenzuela City, for the alleged unlawful possession of excisable goods. About 600 master cases of untaxed cigarettes were discovered in the facility in early November 2024 during what the BIR described as its largest operation against illicit cigarettes last year.
