P882 million worth of cigarettes with fake BIR stamps seized

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY- Agents from the Bureau of Internal Revenue and National Bureau of Investigation raided two warehouses here on Tuesday afternoon and confiscated P882 million worth of cigarettes with fake BIR stamps. BIR Region 10 director Atty.Nuzar Balatero said that acting on a tip, the agents raided the two warehouses owned by Gaisano in barangays Bayabas and Cugman, this city. Found inside the warehouses were thousands of boxes of cigarettes with brands like YS Filters; RED; Jackpot; Bravo; Marvel; and Two Moon. Balatero said that with the use of a BIR Taggant reader, the agents found out that all of the cigarettes have fake BIR stamps. Balatero said some 3,000 cases of cigarettes with fake BIR stamps were found at the warehouse located along the Diversion Road in Barangay Bayabas. He said another 1,707 cases were seized in the Gaisano Cugman warehouse along no. 7 in barangay Cugman, this city. Balatero said their office and the NBI are still investigating who are the owners of the contraband who rented the warehouses owned by the Gaisanos. He said the owner will face criminal charges for the unlawful pursuit of business; failure to file excise taxes; and unlawful possession of spurious internal revenue stamps. /rcg