METRO

BoC destroys P1.4-B smuggled vape shipment

Lisa Marie Apacible · Oct 2, 2026, 5:06 AM

BUREAU of Customs personnel condemn and destroy more than P1.4 billion worth of illicit vape products on Thursday. The disposal represents the largest single-operation seizure of smuggled vape products and devices in the agency’s history, preventing millions of illegal vape units and pods from entering the Philippine market. — Photograph courtesy of Bureau of Customs/Facebook

The Bureau of Customs (BoC) destroyed more than P1.4 billion worth of smuggled vape products Thursday, concluding forfeiture proceedings on the largest single-operation vape seizure in agency history.

Authorities used heavy machinery to crush and douse 3,174 boxes of illicit electronic cigarettes and liquid pods valued at P1.428 billion to render the merchandise unrecoverable.

The destroyed inventory comprised products under the Chillax, Black Bar and Shift brand names, none of which bore mandatory Bureau of Internal Revenue tax stamps or health warnings.

Customs intelligence officers assigned to the Manila International Container Port (MICP), operating alongside the Philippine Coast Guard, originally intercepted the shipment during a raid on a Manila warehouse in March following an intelligence tip.

MICP officials conducted a full physical examination and inventory of the inventory before issuing a Warrant of Seizure and Detention and a subsequent Forfeiture Order to authorize the destruction.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno stressed that untaxed e-cigarette shipments pose health risks alongside revenue losses.