Key Points:
- Philippine Customs seized smuggled vapes disguised as shoes and apparel, valued at PHP 8.244 million (USD 140,000), totaling 20,610 pods, originating from China.
- A Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) was issued citing violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA 10863).
- On August 14, the recipient of the shipment was arrested in Manila during a joint operation by police and CIIS.
According to Tribune (Aug 18), CIIS flagged the shipment after negative intelligence indicated discrepancies. On August 11, an X-ray scan revealed that the declared shoes and apparel were missing, prompting authorities to seize the falsely declared goods.
A physical inspection at Clark Port confirmed that 69 boxes contained 20,610 Black Ultra vape pods in various flavors.
The WSD issued on August 12 cited violations of Section 117, Section 1113(i), and Section 1400 of RA 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act).
On August 14, the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), together with CIIS, conducted a follow-up operation in Manila and arrested the recipient linked to the shipment.
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