According to a report by The Philippine Star, the Philippines Bureau of Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service conducted raids on three warehouses in Parañaque, Malabon, and Quezon City on the evening of February 29, seizing a batch of electronic cigarette products valued at 4 billion pesos (approximately 510 million yuan). These products were not registered in the Philippines and lacked the necessary authorization certificates.
Sources revealed that there were about 3 million sets of these products, coming from the well-known Philippine brand Flava. It was disclosed that Flava is the leading electronic cigarette brand in the Philippines, with its suppliers mainly from China and purchasing in large quantities. However, during the procurement process, the brand did not fully pay for the goods, with some orders only paid at 30% to 50%, and some even at only 20%. Therefore, the seizure of these goods also had a significant impact on some Chinese electronic cigarette companies.
The individuals involved in the electronic cigarette products case are reported to be ethnic Chinese in the Philippines, and the case is currently under further investigation. In response to this illegal activity, the three warehouses involved will be quickly shut down, and are awaiting the issuance of seizure and detention orders for the immediate destruction of the smuggled electronic cigarettes.
It has been noted that this is not the first time Flava has been investigated. In November 2023, Philippine regulatory authorities seized 1.4 million electronic cigarettes from the company, and Flava has been under a tax investigation since then.
Furthermore, it was revealed by insiders in the electronic cigarette industry in the Philippines that on February 29, a batch of electronic cigarettes was burned in front of a government office building in Manila.
