NBI nabs 5 over P63 million vapes

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has confiscated an estimated P63 million worth of unregistered vape products in Parañaque, Pasay and Marilao in Bulacan.

Five people, including three foreign nationals, were apprehended during the operations.

According to the NBI, cyber patrols led authorities to illegal vape importation and distribution activities through social media platforms.

On May 8, NBI agents seized 85,200 pieces of salt-nicotine-based vape products at a warehouse in Marilao, Bulacan.

A follow-up operation on May 21 in Parañaque resulted in the confiscation of 25,000 unregistered vape items.

Two foreigners were arrested at the scene. They were Jonathan Kher Jun Xian, a Singaporean, and Thai national Natkrita Phakhinniphat.

On May 26, the NBI-Cybercrime Division arrested three more suspects in Pasay.

Mathew Francisco Ramos and Iris Hui del Rosario were nabbed along with Chinese national Jiang Xing.

One of the suspects disclosed the location of a storage facility in Parañaque where NBI agents recovered 72,000 unregistered vape products.

Meanwhile, two men were nabbed by the NBI in Pasay for allegedly duping a woman into giving luxury bags and jewelry worth over P11.8 million in exchange for a P20-million loan.

Maverick Das Punjabi and Jazpher Macaraig Rayos are being held on charges of large-scale estafa and violation of cybercrime law.

NBI agents also arrested three people involved in illegal notarial practices.

The NBI-Special Task Force and Cybercrime Division said the suspects were nabbed while offering notarial services near the Commission on Elections office in Pasay.