BOC seizes P4.6 billion vapes

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs has confiscated an estimated P4.6 billion worth of smuggled electronic cigarettes or vapes during a two-day crackdown on warehouses in Metro Manila, a BOC official said yesterday.

In a statement, BOC Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) director Verne Enciso said the vapes found in the warehouses are suspected to have been smuggled from China.

Armed with letters of authority issued by BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, operatives raided 20 warehouses on Governor Pascual street in Potrero, Malabon on March 1 after receiving a tip that these warehouses were used to store smuggled vapes.

In one warehouse, BOC-CIIS operatives reported finding 8,400 boxes of Flava brand vapes.

Each box held 100 vapes priced at P550 each, bringing the market value of the vapes to P462 million.

If the P520 excise tax that the government must collect for every vape is added, the aggregate value of the vapes would be P898.8 million.

On Feb. 29, a warehouse in Olivarez Compound in San Dionisio, Parañaque was found to contain 1.5 million Flava brand vapes in assorted flavors, according to Enciso.

He noted that other warehouses in Parañaque are still being examined.

The BOC-CIIS is also inspecting warehouses of Superb Catch Inc. in Compound 46 on Hernandez street in Barangay Catmon, Malabon.

In one warehouse, operatives reported finding 19,800 boxes, with each box containing 100 vapes, during an initial inventory.

The BOC-CIIS also found a temporary unplugged cold storage unit that contained a still undetermined quantity of vapes.

During the raid, operatives also saw workers unloading vapes from a wing van truck.

The BOC also checked the contents of 15 other warehouses in Malabon and reportedly discovered branded and unbranded shoes, hardware supplies, used clothing, unbranded clothes, household items and other products amounting to P174.2 million.

BOC Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Group Juvymax Uy, who took charge of the coordination between government agencies and the local enforcement officers, said three more warehouses will be inventoried today.

The BOC reminded representatives of the raided warehouses that they have 15 days to provide proof of payment of duties and taxes covering the seized goods.

If the representatives cannot present the proper documents, owners of the goods would face charges for violating Section 1400 (misdeclaration in goods declaration) in relation to Section 1113 (property subject to seizure and forfeiture) of Republic Act 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.