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Customs raid

Benise Balaoing

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- The government recovered millions of pesos worth of illicit tobacco products in separate operations.</p><p>The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Wednesday said it confiscated P791 million worth of illegal cigarettes and vape products from Singapore.</p><p>In a statement, the BOC said the 3-container shipment arrived in Manila on May 11 and was said to have <span dir="ltr">3,845 cases of tobacco products.</span></p><p>But authorities found <span dir="ltr">4,215 master cases of cigarettes and 1,053 master cases of heat sticks inside.</span></p><div><span dir="ltr"><span dir="ltr">The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) confirmed with the BIR that the shipment&#x27;s consignee is not a registered importer of tobacco and other tobacco-related products.</span></span></div><p><span dir="ltr"></span>The cigarettes also did not have the required <span dir="ltr">printed graphic health warnings on their packaging.</span></p><div><span dir="ltr">BOC said a <span dir="ltr">Warrant of Seizure and Detention will be issued against the subject shipment for violating the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act of 2022, The Graphic Health Warnings Law of 2014, and NTA Board Resolution 079-2005. </span></span></div><p>Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said they are committed to upholding the law and protecting consumers from <span dir="ltr">potentially hazardous products.</span></p><div><strong>Illicit cigarettes in Palawan </strong></div><p>Meanwhile, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Wednesday said it confiscated more than 227,000 packs of cigarettes in Palawan.</p><p>The BIR said it nabbed 227,351 packs of illicit cigarettes from seven makeshift warehouses in Brooke&#x27;s Pointe, Palawan.</p><p>They said the owners and traders of these owe the government P150,693,543 in tax dues. </p><p>The tax agency said there were 8 persons found with the contraband cigarettes. They will be charged with violating Sections 6C, 15, 130, 131, 144, 145, 154, 171, 172, 254, 263A, and 265 of the National Internal Revenue Code.</p><p>The BIR said this is a particularly successful operation because Palawan is considered a hotspot for the illicit cigarette trade.</p><p>&quot;Susuyurin ng Bagong BIR ang buong Pilipinas para hanapin at kasuhan ang lahat ng nagbebenta ng ilegal na vape at sigarilyo,&quot; Commissioner Romeo Lumagui said.</p><p>(The BIR will go all over the Philippines to file cases against sellers of illegal vape and cigarettes.)</p><div><strong>RELATED STORY:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P-J9c3gIgh4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Bureau of Customs on Wednesday said it confiscated more than 227,000 packs of cigarettes in Palawan.</p>

The Bureau of Customs on Wednesday said it confiscated more than 227,000 packs of cigarettes in Palawan.

BIR, Customs confiscate illicit tobacco products in separate ops

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BIR, Customs confiscate illicit tobacco products in separate ops

Benise Balaoing,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 15, 2024 12:33 PM PHT

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