BOC: Over P50B smuggled vapes, motor parts seized since January 2024

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized more than P50 billion worth of smuggled vape products and motor parts from January to August of this year. 

“For this year po, mula January hanggang August, mahigit P1 bilyong na po ang worth ng tobacco and vape products na aming nahuli,” said BOC spokesperson Vincent Philip Maronilla on Friday at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon. 

(For this year, from January to August, we have seized over P1 billion worth of tobacco and vape products.) 

“Yung mga motor parts po, kasama po siya sa mga items na nahuhuli namin, mula po sa January hanggang August this year, in totality, lahat ng smuggled products namin including motor parts umaabot na po sa mahigit P50 bilyon,” he said. 

(Among the items we have confiscated were motor parts. So from January to August of this year, in totality, all the smuggled products we have seized, which includes motor parts, have already reached over P50 billion.) 

He added most of the smuggled vape products came from China. However, he admitted that the lack of Customs offices along the country’s shorelines led to the entry of illegal products. 

“Pero ang napapansin naming scheme ay outside smuggling. Ibig sabihin ay mayroon po tayong mga shorelines na hindi natin nababantayan dahil walang Customs offices doon…they take advantage of the shorelines to bring in illegal items such as vapes, 'yang mga illegal motor parts na 'yan, even some agricultural products,” said Maronilla. 

(We have observed that their scheme is outside smuggling. Because we don’t have Customs offices along the shorelines, they take advantage of that to bring in illegal items such as vapes, illegal motor parts, and even some agricultural products.) 

He further said BOC is now coordinating with the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard in manning the shorelines. 

He reminded companies that the usual requirement for importation is to get an accreditation from the bureau.—AOL, GMA Integrated News