Philippine Customs destroys P3.26 billion worth of smuggled vape products

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Monday destroyed smuggled vape products worth P3.26 billion as President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. vowed to continue the state crackdown on goods that pose health risks for Filipinos.

“We will continue doing this, and I just wanted to highlight both the efforts we are making and the dangers these smuggled vapes pose — far beyond just the revenue loss to the government,” he said in a speech after witnessing the destruction of the smuggled goods at the Port of Manila, based on a transcript posted on the Presidential Communications Office website.

“Our primary concern is the health risks posed by these illicit vapes,” he added.

In a statement, the BoC said it destroyed 2.98 million vape products that included electronic cigarettes, vape parts and other accessories seized last year.

It added that the agency profiles and detects undeclared or smuggled vape shipments through its risk management system and cargo targeting system.

Mr. Marcos said smuggled vape products are safety hazards since many of these have dubious manufacturing processes and the lack of documents makes it difficult to verify if they follow health regulations.

“Since these products are smuggled, they evade inspection, and we have no way of knowing where they came from,” he said. “Some of the smuggled vape liquids we examined were found to contain toxic substances.”

Under Republic Act No. 11900, the Customs bureau regulates imports and the distribution and taxation of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products, ensuring that they follow health standards and are safe for Filipino consumers.

“By shutting down illicit trade, we protect our people’s access to affordable goods and boost our revenue collections that allow the government to provide more public services to Filipinos,” Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said on the sidelines of the destruction of the vape products.

In a report, the bureau said vape products seized last year reached P9.29 billion or 11% of the P85.167 billion worth of confiscated goods. The bureau seized cigarettes and tobacco products worth P33.44 billion or 39% of all smuggled goods.

“Our fight against smuggling goes beyond just border protection. It is a defense of our economic integrity,” Mr. Recto said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez