The Philippines' Bureau of Internal Revenue seized nearly 8,000 illegal e-cigarettes involving FLAVA brand products
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The Philippines' Bureau of Internal Revenue seized nearly 8,000 illegal e-cigarettes involving FLAVA brand products
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines seized 7,920 illegal e-cigarette products without tax stamps in a raid, mainly FLAVA brands, with a tax amount of about 6.82 million Philippine pesos (119,000 US dollars). The agency plans to file a lawsuit against the merchants involved.
According to the Philippine News Agency on August 9, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines seized 7,920 illegal e-cigarette products at a market in Taytay Town, Rizal Province.
The BIR said in a statement on Friday (9th) that these illegal e-cigarette products were confiscated in the raid on August 8, with an estimated value of about 6.82 million Philippine pesos (119,000 US dollars).
BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said,
"Operators of the BIR Illegal Trade Task Force, in conjunction with the National Bureau of Investigation, raided the Taytay Tiangge market and found thousands of illegal vape products, including FLAVA. We have confiscated the illegal vape products and will destroy them and proceed with the recovery of taxes and prosecution of those who sold these products."
The BIR said the operation was based on a citizen's tip-off that a market stall was selling vape products without the BIR tax stamp, mainly selling the FLAVA brand.
The BIR conducted surveillance of the market and eventually discovered a warehouse in Barangay San Juan.
The BIR said all the seized vape products had no tax stamps and that the stall and warehouse were unregistered.
In addition, the vendor did not have a business permit and did not issue official receipts or invoices.
The BIR said these actions were violations of the Tax Code.
"We encourage the public to report the sale of vape products without tax stamps," Lumagui said.
