Group seeks inventory of seized vape products

AN anti-crime watchdog group has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address alleged corruption in the Bureau of Customs (BoC) as it expressed fears that seized vape products may have been sold.

Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) National President Diego Magpantay said that seized vape products worth P500 million were recycled.

He cited reports that officials of the Customs Intelligence Investigation Service-Intellectual Property Rights Division and Port of Manila Collector issued a «safe keeping order» to a favorite condemnation facility.

Thus, the safe keeping of the products allegedly no longer needs to pass through the Office of the Commissioner.

However, the group said the products are allegedly being recycled or sold without the knowledge of the Customs commissioner.

In a statement, the CCW said that the BoC should conduct another inventory to determine if the seized products are in the warehouse.

The group expressed fears that the P11 billion worth of fake products recently confiscated in Binondo may also be «recycled.»

Last week, a large-scale operation was conducted in Binondo, Manila, where authorities seized P11 billion worth of counterfeit products.