PORAC -- The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) led the destruction of illegal cigarette-making machines as well as the disposal of illegal cigarettes confiscated from recent operations.

The destruction proceedings were attended by Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay, Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa and Vice Governor Dennis Pineda at the DiGaMa Waste Management Facility in Barangay Mitla in Porac town.

The BIR said that the destruction of the said machineries ensure that these will no longer be used in illegal cigarette manufacturing.

Instrumental to the crackdown on illegal business activities, the BIR created a strike team to swiftly respond and enforce tax laws and regulations against those engaged in illicit manufacturing of cigarettes using fake tax stamps.

The BIR strike team made substantial strides by confiscating and seizing counterfeit cigarette stamps, materials, finished goods, and machinery in sting operations carried out nationwide.

In 2018, the BIR strike team headed by Sonny Advincula seized 5,227 master cases of cigarettes, four cigar making machines, six packaging machines, and four filter machines. These cigarette making equipment and machineries were secured and rendered inoperable for their eventual destruction.

It could be recalled that in 2017, Mighty Corporation was found to have been illegally manufacturing cigarettes using counterfeit tax stamps. The corporation reportedly owed the government some P37 billion in tax revenues. Mighty Corporation paid P30 billion and another P10 billion for payment of taxes and penalties.