Philippines Customs Seizes $140,000 Worth of Black Ultra Vape Cartridges; Recipient Arrested

Aug.18

The Philippine Bureau of Customs at the Port of Clark seized a shipment falsely declared as shoes and clothing, which actually contained 20,610 Black Ultra vape cartridges valued at about USD 140,000. The shipment was found in violation of provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, and Philippine police have arrested the recipient involved.

Key Points:

The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized a shipment of smuggled e-cigarettes disguised as shoes and clothing, worth PHP 8.244 million (approx. USD 140,000), consisting of 20,610 vape cartridges.
A warrant of seizure and detention was issued for violation of customs regulations; the recipient was arrested on August 14 in Manila.
The operation was jointly conducted by customs and police, involving intelligence verification, physical inspection, and a follow-up arrest.

According to the Tribune on August 18, 2025, the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) intercepted a shipment of e-cigarette products valued at PHP 8.244 million (about USD 140,000) on August 12. The shipment had been declared as shoes and clothing.

According to the Port of Clark, negative information from the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service (CIIS) indicated that the shipment screened through X-ray on August 11 did not contain the declared shoes and apparel. This led to the interception of the falsely declared e-cigarette products.

A physical inspection by the Port of Clark revealed that 69 boxes contained 20,610 Black Ultra vape cartridges of various flavors.

On August 12, 2025, the Port of Clark issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD), citing violations of Sections 117, 1113(i), and 1400 of Republic Act No. 10863, also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

On August 14, the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), together with CIIS, carried out a follow-up operation and arrested the recipient of the falsely declared vape products worth PHP 8.244 million.

References:

[1] BOC seizes P8.24M worth of vape products in Clark

Also Read:

[1] Philippine Customs Uncovers $700,000 E-Cigarette Smuggling Case Involving Over 80,000 Mislabeled Items

[2] Philippine Vape Industry Observers: Market Entering a “Turbulent Phase” Amid Growing Uncertainty

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