BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
and Revenue District Office 77 Bacolod City and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City yesterday, May 4. DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA/PN
BACOLOD City – Counterfeit tax stamps and cigarettes valued at P544 million were seized from a warehouse in Barangay Tangub yesterday.
The warehouse was producing fake cigarettes, according to Regional Director Antonio Jonathan Jaminola of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
Joint elements of BIR Region 12 and Revenue District Office 77 here and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) launched the operation.
They initially managed to seize several boxes containing fake documentary stamps and raw materials only.
An NBI agent who requested not to be identified pointed out the stamps nearly look the same as the original BIR tax stamp, however, the fake ones all had the same serial numbers.
The NBI agent also compared the fake and original BIR stamps. The original had a darker green color; the counterfeit had light green.
NBI and BIR agents then opened a parked truck outside the warehouse; it contained boxes of suspected fake cigarettes, more fake documentary stamps and raw materials.
During the raid, Jaminola said the warehouse was padlocked and they had to ask permission from Barangay Tangub officials to break into the facility.
Authorities believed there were people working in the warehouse but were on lunch break that time.
“We still don’t have the identities of the individuals behind these fake tax stamps,” Jaminola said.
Three more trucks were also found inside the warehouse.
Jaminola believed the workers were only at the beginning of production of the fake items as most recoveries were raw materials.
As long as someone will inform them of similar illegal activities, the BIR official added, they will continue their raids, pointing out the government is losing money every time the fake items reach the open market.
“To all taxpayers, please help our government by paying the right tax as it is really needed especially during this pandemic,” Jaminola said.
Some of the seized items will be destroyed by the BIR while some will be secured for evidence.
Jaminola said the suspects may face charges for violating Section 265 of the National Internal Revenue Code, and tax evasion./PN
