By Anna Leah Gonzales
MANILA – Government authorities have seized 11,309 illicit vapor products and uncovered more than PHP33 million in estimated tax liabilities during simultaneous enforcement operations across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, and Laguna.
In a statement Monday, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said authorities discovered five establishments in Muntinlupa and Parañaque City selling illicit vapor products. The stores operated under different names but were owned by a single proprietor.
Operatives from Revenue Region No. 5 also seized 1,191 disposable vape units in Valenzuela City and Caloocan City, with estimated excise tax liabilities of nearly PHP3 million.
Some units carried fake internal revenue stamps, while others had no stamps, indicating that excise taxes had not been paid.
In Cavite and Batangas, nine commercial establishments were found selling unregistered and unstamped vapor products.
More than 6,000 units were confiscated, with estimated tax liabilities of PHP18.2 million.
In San Pedro, Laguna, authorities seized 1,544 suspected illicit and untaxed vapor products, equivalent to about PHP4.6 million in estimated tax liabilities.
“Illicit trade in vapor products deprives the government of much-needed revenue and exposes consumers to unregulated products that fail to comply with tax and regulatory requirements,” the BIR said.
The operations, conducted on March 12 in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry and Philippine National Police, followed BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza’s directive to intensify monitoring and enforcement against establishments suspected of trading illicit vapor products. (PNA)
