The Philippine Tax Bureau Conducted A Surprise Raid On An Illegal E-cigarette Manufacturing Site And Seized Nearly 19,000 Products.

According to the Manila Times news report on June 5th: On May 30th, the Philippine Internal Revenue Bureau (BIR) and the National Bureau of Investigation jointly carried out an operation, dismantling an illegal e-cigarette network disguised as a legitimate business in Guiguinto, Bulacan Province. At the scene, 18,811 e-cigarette products and a large number of counterfeit tax tickets were seized.

Seized items: 14,022 traditional electronic cigarette products, 4,789 products containing salt nicotine, and a large number of counterfeit tax stamps and fake disposable electronic cigarettes. Law enforcement officers conducted a surprise operation at two locations: an underground distribution center and a temporary warehouse hidden in a residence. The operation was initiated based on long-term monitoring of Facebook's electronic cigarette sales activities and obtained a search warrant in accordance with the law.
The regulatory authorities made a strong statement: The internet is not a "safe haven". Tax officials Romeo Lumagui emphasized that illegal electronic cigarette sales, whether online or offline, cannot escape the attention of law enforcement:
"The long arm of the law has extended to the online domain. We will find you."
He warned that these products pose a serious threat to teenagers. The products seized in this operation, theoretically, could provide enough for 4,700 minors to use for a month, highlighting the impact on public health.
The company was involved in multiple violations, with tax losses exceeding 36.51 million pesos.
The involved company used mixed legal and illegal invoices to cover transactions, evading consumption tax and value-added tax. The police identified several employees involved in online and offline sales and they will face the following multiple charges: possession of untaxed goods (Article 263), issuing false invoices, forging stamps (Articles 264, 265), tax evasion, false reporting of information (Articles 254, 255), forging commercial documents (Article 172 of the Revised Criminal Code), and the tax authority estimated that the total tax loss was 36.51 million pesos, of which the basic consumption tax alone was 3.49 million pesos.