A Total Of Over 16 Million US Dollars Involved! The Philippines Seized Over 3 Million Pieces Of Illegal Electronic Cigarettes.

On March 21st, the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) jointly carried out a surprise operation. In a warehouse in San Rafael Village, Navotas City, Metro Manila, they seized approximately 1 billion pesos (about 114 million yuan) worth of illegal electronic cigarette products. The authorities stated that this operation was one of the largest seizures of electronic cigarette products this year.
Over 3 million items were seized at the scene.
This operation was carried out by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Services Bureau after receiving relevant intelligence. The Philippine Coast Guard also participated in this surprise inspection. The law enforcement officers found approximately 3,174 boxes and over 3 million electronic cigarette devices, cartridges, and related products in the warehouse, including five electronic cigarette brands whose licenses were revoked due to non-compliant packaging.
In addition to the electronic cigarette products, the authorities also seized a large amount of brand promotional materials in the warehouse, including T-shirts, jackets, hats, etc. The electronic cigarette brand labels printed on these items were prohibited from being sold by the Department of Trade and Industry in 2024 due to non-compliant packaging and failure to place health warnings as required.
The seized electronic cigarettes violated multiple regulations.
Belainvido Rubio, the director of the Philippine Customs, stated that this batch of goods was neither declared at the customs office, nor did it possess the necessary Philippine Standards (PS) license and Import Clearance Certificate (ICC), violating the provisions of Republic Act No. 11900, the "Management Law for Vaping Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products".
Director Ariel Nepomuceno of the customs office pointed out that this large-scale smuggling behavior not only caused the government to lose approximately 4 million pesos in customs and tax revenue, but also posed a threat to public health. Nepomuceno emphasized: "This is not just smuggling; it is a threat to public health. Unregistered electronic cigarette products bypassed safety checks and may pose serious health risks."
15-day deadline for explanation, warehouse owner faces charges
Currently, the authorities have identified the registered owner of the warehouse and have requested that they provide legal documents within 15 days to prove the legality of the goods. If the owner fails to present valid import documents and compliance licenses, they will face charges of violating the "Customs Modernization and Tariff Law", and the seized goods will be confiscated and destroyed.
Amanda Nogales, Assistant Secretary of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry, warns consumers not to purchase unregistered e-cigarette products and emphasizes that the agency will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to crack down on the illegal sales networks of illegal e-cigarettes.
At the same time, the Philippine Customs General Office reaffirms that it will never allow unregistered e-cigarette products to proliferate. These products bypass mandatory safety inspections, standardized labels, and component verification, posing a serious threat to consumers' health. The General Office of Customs will continue to firmly safeguard public interests and ensure that only compliant and properly regulated products can enter the market.