A delivery driver’s decision to turn over unclaimed cargo led the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to seize ₱137,390 worth of illicit cigarettes from a hidden storage facility in Caloocan City.
The joint operation was triggered when a courier transporting cigarette boxes from Caloocan to Valenzuela City sought police assistance after the intended recipient failed to meet him and became unreachable.
The driver voluntarily surrendered 19 boxes of “CARNIVAL RED” cigarettes to authorities for proper verification and disposition.
Using intelligence gathered from the surrendered items, the NCRPO and BIR tracked the shipment back to its original source.
Following formal validation, BIR CAMANAVA (RR5) issued a Mission Order authorizing an inspection of the location.
Assisted by the Caloocan City Police Station and Northern Police District (NPD) personnel, authorities inspected a rented stockroom in Barangay 89, Caloocan City.
The raid yielded 55 master cases of CARNIVAL RED King Size Class A Filter cigarettes. BIR inspectors confirmed that the products lacked the mandatory Internal Revenue Stamp (IRS) required under the National Internal Revenue Code, pointing to severe excise tax evasion.
The establishment owner was absent during the raid. Investigators are currently working to identify the individuals who rented the facility and determine the full scale of the illegal distribution network.
The confiscated goods were inventoried and transferred to an authorized storage facility pending forfeiture proceedings.
NCRPO Officer-in-Charge PBGen. Christopher N. Abrahano commended NPD Director PBGen. Benliner L. Capili, the Valenzuela and Caloocan police stations, and BIR officials for their prompt execution.
“The NCRPO will continue working closely with partner agencies to ensure that violations of tax laws are addressed through lawful and coordinated enforcement actions,” Abrahano said, warning that police will persist in targeting illicit trade operations that deprive the government of essential tax revenues.
