The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Thursday Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. led the confiscation of a vending machine openly selling illicit vape products under the Flava brand which the agency earlier ordered to cease operations.
The confiscation was due to a report made by a netizen on Lumagui’s official Facebook page, it said.
“Upon confiscation, it was discovered that Flava vape products were being sold for P500 each,” the BIR said.
The agency said this was worrisome because illicit vape products were openly being sold in a building where a gym, dance studio, gymnastics studio, basketball court, cafe and bakery, laundry station, water station and a restaurant are a few steps away.
Children could have bought the Flava vape since the vending machine is open to the public, it said.
“Selling illicit vape is illegal, whether the same be through vending machines or online stores. The BIR will confiscate and raid any illicit vape products. We are thankful to the netizen-informant who reported the vending machine around two weeks ago in my official Facebook page. We confiscated the vending machine this morning. The BIR welcomes all informants against illicit vape. Rest assured, we will act on all verified targets,” Lumagui said.
The netizen-informant reported the presence of the illicit vending machine selling Flava vape products on Commissioner Lumagui’s page less than two weeks ago.
Lumagui then ordered the BIR to conduct surveillance operations to verify the target.
