Manila, April 2 -- The Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Wednesday called for tighter enforcement and improved conviction rates in the government's fight against illicit trade of tobacco and vapor products, noting the disparity between the number of raids and actual court convictions.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who presided the continuation of the panel's hearing, underscored the importance of coordination among enforcement agencies and urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BOC), and Department of Justice (DOJ) to operationalize concrete plans aimed at securing convictions against smugglers.

"Enforcement starts with intelligence gathering, raids, prosecution, and eventually conviction. At the end of the day...