The Philippine Customs Bureau is suspected of corruption: nearly 10 million US dollars worth of e-cigarette products may be resold

The Philippine Customs Bureau is suspected of corruption: nearly 10 million US dollars worth of e-cigarette products may be resold

The Philippine anti-crime watchdog group called on President Marcos to address corruption within the Bureau of Customs, fearing that 500 million pesos ($8.52 million) worth of seized vaping products may have been sold, and suggested a re-inventory of warehouses.

The Philippine anti-crime watchdog group called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address corruption within the Bureau of Customs (BOC), expressing fears that seized vaping products may have been sold, Manila Times reported on July 30.

Diego Magpantay, national president of Citizens Crime Watch (CCW), said 500 million pesos ($8.52 million) worth of seized vaping products were recycled.

He cited reports that the heads of the Intellectual Property Division of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service and the Port of Manila issued a "custody order" to a designated destruction facility. As a result, the custody of the products allegedly no longer needs to go through the Office of the Commissioner of Customs.

However, the group said the products could be recycled or sold without the knowledge of the Customs Commissioner. In a statement, CCW said the Bureau of Customs should conduct another inventory to determine if the seized products are still in the warehouse.

The group is also concerned that the counterfeit products worth 11 billion pesos (US$180 million) recently confiscated in Binondo may also be "recycled."

Last week, a large-scale operation was carried out in Binondo, Manila, where authorities seized counterfeit products worth 11 billion pesos (US$180 million).