Pampanga warehouses yield cigarettes, fake tax stamps

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Agents of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Wednesday seized millions of pesos worth of cigarettes with fake tax stamps from two warehouses being rented by Chinese businessmen at San Simon town in Pampanga province.

Aided by policemen, the agents raided the warehouses at the San Simon Industrial Park, according to Sonny Advincula, head of the raiding team.

He declined to name the traders leasing the warehouses. The first warehouse yielded three machines apparently used to produce cigarettes.

Also found were boxes containing 33.5 million filters, 20 bales of acetate used to make filters and packaging materials. The second warehouse contained boxes of counterfeit cigarette brands.

The tax stamps recovered from the warehouses did not have BIR marks, Advincula said, adding that their serial numbers may also be fake. — TONETTE OREJAS