MANILA -- The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Tuesday said the Department of Justice (DOJ) has ruled in its favor in a P5.7 billion tax evasion case against an illegal cigarette operation.

In a statement, the tax bureau said the DOJ filed criminal information before the Court of Tax Appeals on March 13.  The BIR said it filed a case against five Chinese nationals after nabbing cigarettes with P5,764,761,450 in tax liabilities on November 6 and 7 last year. The cigarettes were confiscated in raids in Valenzuela and Bulacan.

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BIR said some 21,000 master cases of illicit cigarettes were confiscated during the operation.

"This win is a testament to our commitment to pursue every criminal involved in illicit cigarette trade," Commissioner Romeo Lumagui said.

Lumagui said the BIR will continue to go after those involved in illegally selling cigarettes.

"We will raid your warehouses. We will destroy all illicit cigarettes and machines. We will file cases against you. You will be arrested," he said.

From February 24 to March 5, the BIR also burned 14.3 million packs of illicit cigarettes at a waste disposal facility in Porac, Pampanga and in many sites across the country. 

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