The Bureau of Customs (BoC) disclosed on Thursday that its operatives seized 112,750 unregistered vape products worth more than P95.7 million at the Port of Manila.

Officials from the agency said that the items were confiscated in separate inspections on 18 March and the first shipment was flagged based on derogatory information received by the BoC’s Enforcement Group, prompting the issuance of a Pre-Lodgement Control Order (PLCO) requested by Deputy Commissioner Teddy Raval.

An inspection of two 40-foot-high cube containers uncovered 233 cartons containing 46,600 assorted flavored vape products worth P23.3 million. The supposed duties and taxes amounted to P30.2 million.

Port of Manila district collector Alexander Gerard Alviar is set to issue a Warrant of Seizure and Detention against the shipments for violation of Section 1113 in relation to Section 1400 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and Republic Act 11900, or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act.

Separately, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Port of Manila team requested the issuance of a PLCO against three additional shipments suspected of containing unmanifested goods.

Physical examination revealed 66,150 undeclared vape products hidden among boxes of insulated cups. These have an estimated value of P72.4 million, with supposed duties and taxes worth P39.3 million.

Raval said the shipments arrived from China and were declared as “plastic insulation.”