Shells worth P1M seized from factory

CEBU, Philippines - Protected seashells estimated to be worth at least a million pesos were confiscated from a shellcraft factory in Barangay Bakilid, Mandaue City, yesterday noon.

Armed with a search warrant, operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 confiscated the seashells inside the compound of Perlae Trading Corp. along A.S. Fortuna St.

The warrant was issued by Judge Simeon Dumdum Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 8.

The operation, which is in line with the provincial government’s Oplan Kalikasan program, is in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-7, said team leader Senior Insp. Ricky Neron.

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office also assisted the police in the confiscation of the items yesterday.

Neron said they recovered 1,402 pieces of seashells from the factory yesterday, 1,377 of which were budyong seashells.

Authorities failed to arrest the subjects of the warrant, Maria Janice Roldan and Rudy del Valles, operators of the factory, who are allegedly in Manila.

BFAR-7 aquaculturist Nathaniel Lucero said budyong and trumpet shells, which were also seized, are in their list of protected Philippine aquatic wildlife.

Lucero said the operator/owner of the factory will be charged for violating Fisheries Administrative Order 158 and Section 97 of Republic Act 8850 or the Phil. Fisheries Code of 1998.

“Illegal ang pag-gather, pag-possess ug pagbaligya aning budyong ug ubang mga seashells na ipinagbabawal,” Lucero said.

Neron said they had the factory under surveillance for over a month after receiving a report from a concerned citizen that the establishment exports banned and endangered seashells.

One of the employees said they usually export their products to Syria.

Neron said they will file a case against the suspects who have been operating the business for 15 years.

Neron said that based on the employees’ accounts, the factory has also been exporting the said seashells since its operation.

No one on behalf of the factory management would face the media for an interview yesterday. — (FREEMAN)