The Philippine Internal Revenue Commissioner Personally Sealed Up FLAVA E-cigarette Vending Machines And Encouraged The Public To Report Illegal Activities

The Philippine Internal Revenue Commissioner personally sealed up FLAVA e-cigarette vending machines and encouraged the public to report illegal activities

The director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) of the Philippines personally led the seizure of a vending machine that was openly selling illegal FLAVA brand e-cigarette products after the agency ordered the brand to cease operations.

According to Manila Standard on July 18, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said that Director Romeo Lumagui Jr. personally led the seizure of a vending machine that was openly selling FLAVA brand e-cigarette products after the agency ordered the brand to cease operations.

It is reported that the seizure was due to a netizen's report on Lumagui's official Facebook page.

"At the time of the seizure, it was found that FLAVA e-cigarette products were being sold at a price of 500 pesos (8.57 US dollars) each."

The agency said the situation is worrying because illegal e-cigarette products are being sold openly in this building, and there are gyms, dance studios, gymnastics studios, basketball courts, cafes and bakeries, laundromats, drinking water stations and restaurants just a few steps away from the building. The BIR noted that children may be able to purchase FLAVA e-cigarettes because the vending machines are open to the public.

The chief said,

"It is illegal to sell illegal e-cigarettes, whether through vending machines or online stores. The BIR will seize and crack down on any illegal e-cigarette products. We thank the netizen who reported the vending machine on my official Facebook page about two weeks ago. We seized the vending machine this morning. The BIR welcomes all whistleblowers who report illegal e-cigarettes. Rest assured that we will take action against all verified targets."

In March 2023, the BIR raided a warehouse in Laguna that was storing illegal FLAVA e-cigarette products. The raid confiscated 1,029 large boxes, equivalent to 102,900 e-cigarettes.