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Over 112,000 unregistered vape products, with a total value of nearly ₱103 million, were seized by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in two separate operations at the Port of Manila (POM) on Tuesday, March 18.
Nearly ₱70 million was the cumulative tax revenue that the government could lose if the illicit shipments were not apprehended.
Misdeclared as insulated cups, the first shipment was flagged based on derogatory information received by enforcement agents, led by Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio.
BOC Deputy Commissioner Teddy Sandy S. Raval requested for a pre-lodgement control order (PLCO), which prompted the inspection of two 40-foot-high cube containers.
The inspection uncovered 233 cartons containing 46,600 assorted flavored vape products, valued at around ₱23.3 million, with an estimated ₱30.2 million in duties and taxes.
POM District Collector Alexander Gerard E. Alviar will issue a warrant of seizure and detention (WSD) against these shipments for violating the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) and the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act.
In a separate operation, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS)-POM requested a PLCO on Jan. 21 for three more shipments suspected of carrying unlisted goods.
During a physical inspection, Customs examiners found over 66,000 undeclared vape products concealed among boxes of insulated cups. The items were valued at ₱72.4 million, with an estimated ₱39.4 million in potential revenues.
According to the BOC, the recent enforcement efforts align with the President’s directive “to curb smuggling and the illegal trade of tobacco and vape products.”
Rubio “warned smugglers against attempting to bring contraband into the country, emphasizing the government’s firm stance against illicit trade.”
He further said that that the BOC “would not stop at apprehensions, as it is also “committed in filing criminal cases against violators.”
Tax revenues increased by nearly 14 percent or ₱53.2 billion to ₱437.5 billion in January 2025, from ₱385.2 billion a year ago.
The BOC, the country’s second-largest tax collection agency, contributed over 18 percent or ₱79.3 billion to the total. This saw a ₱5.9 billion or over eight percent increase from last year’s ₱73.4 billion.
