BIR launches nationwide crackdown on illicit cigarettes

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has launched a nationwide operation to destroy illicit cigarettes worth ₱2.1 billion, with an estimated tax liability of ₱6.4 billion.

The destruction process, scheduled from February 24 to 28, will take place across 12 designated sites, with Porac, Pampanga serving as the central facility for the initiative.

The initiative aligns with the BIR’s intensified campaign against tax evasion and illicit tobacco trade.

In recent months, the agency has escalated enforcement efforts, conducting major raids in Bulacan and Valenzuela, which resulted in the filing of a ₱8.5 billion tax evasion case against those involved.