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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider BIR seizes P75 million worth of vapes in Laguna raid

BIR seizes P75 million worth of vapes in Laguna raid

Published Mar 14, 2024 08:30 am

Electronic cigarettes or vape worth P75 million in deficiency taxes were seized during a warehouse raid in San Pablo City, Laguna, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reported Thursday, March 14.

BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. said that a raid led by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Laguna Provincial Field Unit led to the discovery of 1,029 boxes containing a total of 102,900 Flava vape.

The total amount of taxes from the San Pablo raid was estimated at P75.74 million, according to BIR.

"This successful raid of a vape warehouse containing 102,900 bottles of Flava vape products will be one of many. The BIR supports the whole of government approach in eradicating illicit vape products,” Lumagui said.

“We have warned you as early as 2022. Our raids are successful. We won the criminal cases. You already have pending warrants of arrest. Register and pay your proper taxes, or suffer the consequences," he stated.

The bureau will file cases against the suspects for violating payment of excise tax on domestic products, failure to supply correct and accurate information, and unlawful possession of articles subject to excise tax as stated in the National Internal Revenue Code.

Earlier, the Bureau of Customs also seized over 1.5 million pieces of Flava electronic cigarettes worth P1.53 billion in a compound in Parañaque, of which P780 million would come from excise taxes.

"Hinahabol ng BIR itong mga nagbebenta ng vape na hindi rehistrado o hindi nagbabayad ng tamang buwis. Pwede niyo isumbong sa BIR kapag may nakita kayo sa inyong lugar na tambakan, warehouse, o tindahan ng vape. Kapag nakita namin na hindi sila nagrehistro o nagbayad ng tamang buwis, raid at kasong kriminal ang kanilang haharapin," Lumagui reinstated.

[The BIR is going after these vape sellers who are not registered or don't pay the right taxes. You can report to the BIR when you see a dump, warehouse, or vape store in your area. When we find that they have not registered or paid the correct taxes, they will face raids and criminal charges.]

Smuggled and illegal products are some of the bureau’s targets in aiming for its P3.5 trillion share of the government’s revenues for this year.

The BIR fell short of reaching the P2.64 trillion target last year as it collected only P2.53 trillion in revenues, but still up by 8 percent from the 2022 collection of P2.34 trillion.
 

Related Tags

electronic cigarette Flava Corporation Smuggled cigarettes
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