Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio ordered an investigation on the alleged recycling and resale of confiscated vape products which were recently seized and placed under a “safekeeping order” via a mission order.
Rubio directed the Bureau’s Intelligence Group Deputy Commissioner Juvymax R. Uy to initiate the probe after the allegations were exposed by a crime watch group that seized vape products being openly sold in the sidewalk market.
The customs chief’s directive was aimed to verify the validity of these allegations and to identify any BOC personnel involved, along with their individual and collective roles in the matter.
The investigation will also assess any potential administrative and criminal liabilities associated with these allegations. Rubio also ordered the intelligence group to submit a weekly status report and a detailed fact-finding report within 30 days of receipt of the order.
He assured the public that the counterfeit goods recently seized in Binondo, Manila, valued at approximately P 11 billion are secured, adding that “these goods will undergo the appropriate seizure and forfeiture procedures in accordance with the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act and other relevant regulations.”
