MANILA, Philippines — A total of 408 vape retailers and resellers in different areas nationwide have been found to be selling illegal vape products during a simultaneous crackdown conducted recently by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) personnel.
“The BIR nationwide raid against illicit vape retailers last Oct. 16 shows our aggressive stance against illicit vape,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said in a statement on Monday.
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The apprehended retailers or resellers were in Manila, Quezon City, San Juan City, Makati City, Las Piñas City, Pasay City, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Benguet, Isabela, Laguna, La Union, Albay, Iloilo, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte, Butuan, Agusan del Sur, South Cotabato, Davao, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Ilocos Sur.
The most common violations, according to the BIR, were the absence of internal revenue stamps and the lack of BIR registration for vape products.
The vape products seized during the operation are still undergoing inventory.
Weekly operations
After the nationwide raid, Lumagui ordered BIR agents to conduct weekly surveillance and raids on illicit vape retailers.
Before the simultaneous BIR operation, revenuers conducted covert surveillance of vape retailers in their respective regions and districts.
With its stepped-up enforcement activities, the BIR said its revenue collections in the first nine months have increased by 12.13 percent to P2.08 trillion, translating into 68.2 percent of the P3.05-trillion target for this year.