Customs Seize Illegal Tobacco and Heated Tobacco Products in Manila

According to a report by GMA on May 14th, on Tuesday (14th), the Manila International Container Port Customs Bureau in the Philippines seized three containers filled with illegal cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The shipment originated from Singapore and is estimated to have a total value of 7.91 billion Philippine pesos ($13.71 million).

The Customs Bureau stated that this shipment was initially declared as containing 3,845 tobacco products and was received by Burias Jang Consumer Goods Trading on May 11. However, the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service received "derogatory information" regarding this batch of goods.

In a follow-up investigation, customs officials discovered that the shipment actually contained 4,215 cartons of cigarettes and 1,053 cartons of heated tobacco products. Furthermore, the packaging of these products did not bear graphic health warnings, which violates the Electronic Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act of 2022.

Furthermore, the customs department stated that, through verification with the National Tobacco Administration, the consignee is not registered as an importer of tobacco and other tobacco-related products. Therefore, the sender and consignee may face prosecution for violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, the Philippine Intellectual Property Code, the Acceleration and Inclusion Tax Reform Act, and National Tobacco Administration Resolution No. 079-2005, which covers regulations on the export and import of tobacco products.