The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reported on Monday it has filed an P8.5-billion tax evasion case against individuals behind an illicit cigarette factory and three warehouses it raided in Bulacan and Valenzuela.

BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said the filing of the criminal cases demonstrated the agency’s firm commitment to collect taxes due from those engaged in illicit trades.

He warned that regardless of the size of their operations, unscrupulous people must understand that crime does not pay.

“The BIR will not stop filing criminal cases against large-scale illicit cigarette manufacturers and distributors. Big or small, all operations involving illicit cigarettes in the Philippines are criminal in nature,” Lumagui stressed.

On the night of 6 November 2024, BIR agents, in coordination with law enforcement authorities, raided an illegal cigarette manufacturing facility in Bulacan and three warehouses in Valenzuela City suspected of being part of a larger criminal syndicate.

The authorities confiscated cigarette-making equipment, raw materials, and illicitly manufactured cigarette products. Six Chinese nationals involved in the operations were arrested.

The tax evasion cases were formally filed on 14 November 2024 and 7 February 2025, with total tax liabilities amounting to P8,544,809,067.50.