BIR seizes P500M worth of tax stamps in Pagadian City

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) seized over 10 million fake cigarette tax stamps in Pagadian City, estimated to be worth P500 million.

According to Richard Dawami of BIR Zamboanga, the fake tax stamps were all found to have the same serial number, supposed to be unique for every stamp.

"Ito 'yung peke kasi ito, unique dapat 'yung serial number. Ito the same 'yung serial number, 5134, so meant to say talagan kwan siya, peke siya," he said in a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

Proceeds from cigarette tax stamps, priced at P49 each, are used to finance the Universal Healthcare and other measures to combat the coronavirus disease 2019.

"Ito 'yung mga bahay na nasa subdivision kung saan doon nila itinago itong mga pekeng sigarilyo at itong mga peke na BIR stamps," Moises Tamayo, regional director of the National Bureau of Investigation WEMBO, said in the same report.

"Napakalaking dagok nito kung ito'y napabayaan," he added. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News